Harry Potter and the Next Great Adventure
by CrypticScripts
Summary: With Dumbledore's death Evil has scored a crucial point. What happens when Harry Potter faces political troubles and fear of his own death while fighting the forces of evil? Experience magic at its extreme... Full Summary inside. HONKS! Independent Harry! - ABANDONED!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J K Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Not my disclaimer either. In simple words, _YOU CAN'T SUE ME_.

**Spoilers:** PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, QTTA, FB.

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance.

**Rating:** R – For MATURE language and themes.

**Summary:** Dumbledore's death hangs like a dark cloud on the future of the wizarding world. Evil has scored a crucial point. What happens when Harry Potter faces political troubles and fear of his own death while fighting the forces of evil? Experience magic at its extreme as the Grim Reaper comes knocking on your doors and a new force rises to fight the rising threat of darkness.

**Author's Notes:**

1. Starts immediately where HBP left off and continues to encompass Harry Potter's life… and probably death too.

2. Main pairing will be Harry/Tonks. Go HONKS Go!

3. This story highlights my take on the final book.

4. Reviews will be greatly appreciated. Flames, if not legitimate, will be used in my BBQ.

_**PROLOGUE**_

Across the many windows that spanned the entire Gryffindor Tower of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there was one particular window overlooking the school grounds that belonged to the sixth year's boy's dorms. It had a lonely occupant standing at it, who appeared to be looking outside, surveying the scenery, but was in fact lost in the whirlpool of thoughts that consumed his mind. His emerald green eyes shone behind his glasses with tears that he held behind with all his might. He knew he should try to get over the events of the past, but the memories of the last few days were too sore to be suppressed easily.

The funeral was over. The crowds had dispersed after everyone had paid their last respects. The school grounds had been cleared and now looked as immaculate as ever. The students were back in their common rooms, their trunks packed and ready to leave. Everything appeared as it always did. No signs of battle that had occurred could be seen except for Hagrid's destroyed hut. The sky was cloudless. A gentle breeze was flowing everywhere, as if trying to soothe the senses. Even the birds and animals appeared to be absorbed in their usual activities. The atmosphere was highly subdued, unlike the stark contrast of constant chattering of students that one could normally hear. From the point of view of an outsider, everything looked as normal as it could ever be.

But when you looked from Harry Potter's eyes, even though the weather was beautiful, the death of Albus Dumbledore meant that the world was definitely a changed place.

Maybe the reason why Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard that ever lived, was now dead was the person in whom he believed, whom he gave a second chance at life, ignoring their past, had stabbed him in the back. It was true that Draco Malfoy was responsible for arranging it, but Harry could not deny that even his conscience had made him reconsider his path at the last instance. He was forced to do it, for his own survival, and that of his family. Voldemort had dug his ugly claws in so many people's lives. He had not done the deed which he had been ordered to do. One thing that Harry was certain of, was that Severus Snape, of all people, had succeeded in doing exactly what his Master, Lord Voldemort had wanted – eliminating the only one he had ever feared, and he had not felt any remorse for doing it.

Harry had always suspected Snape and Malfoy to be the devils own, in spite of being told otherwise countless number of times. But his suspicions had always fallen on deaf ears as Dumbledore, and hence others, had refused to acknowledge them. It was no secret that Snape and Malfoy detested Harry – and the feeling was vehemently reciprocated by the Boy-Who-Lived. In fact, if looks could kill, the three of them wouldn't even be alive to tell their tale.

But unlike the others, there was no prejudice in Harry's mind against them. He had arrived in the magical community as a newborn arrives in the world. Since then, he had adapted accordingly. He had experienced friendship, love, hatred, hero-worship and humiliation and every other emotion humanly possible. He had found a new home away from the Dursleys, a family that truly loved him and, as he had come to know, friends that were ready to die for him. But he also learnt that he had formed some enemies since the time before his birth who were eager to kill him any opportunity they got.

The fact still remained that Dumbledore's death had shattered the hopes and beliefs of people who believed that good will one day triumph over evil. Dumbledore had always been the beacon that kept the darkness away and his death had dealt a severe blow to the light.

Harry wasn't the only one who had doubts about Snape's morality. Indeed many people had expressed their concerns privately and publicly as well. It was Dumbledore's implicit faith in Snape that had kept them from laying their hands on him. He had never given the reasons for it, nor did anyone dare to ask. It was understood that if you trusted Dumbledore, you had to trust his decisions, even if it meant trusting Snape, for if you couldn't trust Dumbledore, you couldn't trust anyone else. Ironically, it was Snape who had betrayed Dumbledore's trust, not by making a simple faux pas, but by killing him.

It was time to leave now, to move on. His friends had so far respected his wish to be left alone. In fact he had the whole dormitory to himself. He did not want to be alone, but at the same time did not wish for company. At this moment, he felt that he was the most confused individual on the surface of the earth.

The time to go home had come. The carriages were ready. Ron had come in five minutes ago to announce that. Harry was going to spend what would be his last few days with the Dursleys. Truth be told, he was never eager to do so, but he had promised Dumbledore that he would go and stay there one last time – until he was of age. And Harry Potter would keep his promise. After that he was free to go wherever he pleased, although he hadn't decided where that was going to be. He reckoned Grimmauld Place would work for him. It wasn't the best choice. But under given circumstances, it was better that the rest, not that he had any place secure enough to live. With the Order of the Phoenix members coming there, he would at least be better protected than while staying at the Dursleys. And maybe he would be kept updated with the inside news and happenings.

Another thing that kept creeping into his thoughts was the Horcruxes. That and the mysterious R.A.B. His mind always returned on the four Horcruxes that he needed to destroy – the locket… the cup… the snake… and something belonging to Gryffindor or Ravenclaw… The locket and R.A.B. were interconnected. R.A.B. were the initials of the person who had stolen it from Lord Voldemort himself. The snake, Nagini, would be slithering at her master's feet. The rest of then still were pieces of an obscure puzzle.

Harry quickly climbed down the stairs of the dormitory and found Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville waiting for him in the common room. He briefly reflected on his few best friends.

He knew that Ron and Hermione would be with him till the end, they themselves had admitted it to him after Dumbledore's funeral, rather forcefully one might say. He did not like it. It made them even bigger targets in the eyes of his enemies. But he knew he was stuck with them. Even he had to admit that he did not want to let them go.

Ginny was another person that he had come to know in the past two years. Surely he had broken up with her, but deep down he knew that even she would stand by his side. He would never forget the brief period of intimacy that they had shared. It was perhaps the best time of his life. Even Snape had not been able to bring him down.

Neville was a different person altogether. Harry knew what the boy had suffered. He was familiar with the immense pain of not knowing ones parents. But he also knew about the enormous fire that raged within him, a volcano ready to erupt with a moments notice. Neville had the desire to right the wrongs that had happened to him and bring suffering and punishment to those that had caused the pain. Harry was very much familiar with these feelings. He knew that if Neville stood to fight to his potential, he would be an asset like none other.

Luna… what could he say about her? He did not know her that well. People figured her as some weird loony girl, a ditz. Harry wondered if that was an act to fool others, to make them underestimate her. He had seen her fight and also seen that she could hold off her own. He only knew her as the person who had fought alongside him in the Department of Mysteries, and for him that was more than enough. There are some bonds created that cannot be broken… and fighting back to back was definitely one of them.

The group of Gryffindors met Luna on their way out. The other students had already started on their way to the carriages. Outside the sun still shone brightly. Harry looked around to see those students who hadn't already whisked away by their parents leaving in small groups. He looked back and saw Hogwarts as it stood in all its glory, although its future was covered in darkness. The school governors were supposed to meet sometime in the near future to discuss the prospects about keeping it open. Personally, Harry thought they weren't much bright. Though he had almost made up his mind about not returning to Hogwarts for the next year, he still couldn't digest the thought.

Harry, along with his friends, was making his way towards the carriages when a soft but crisp voice called out his name. He did a quick turn to see Firenze, the centaur standing behind him, his blond hair shining in the sunlight.

"Harry Potter, a word, please."

"Erm – okay," said Harry nervously.

Firenze turned around swishing his long palomino tail behind him after indicating for Harry to follow. The conversation was meant to be private. Harry looked to his friends apologetically, shrugged and followed him. When they were out of earshot and Firenze was sure nobody could here them, he stopped and surveyed Harry impassively with his piercing blue eyes.

"I come here to warn you, Harry Potter," said Firenze, "for time is against us. Much is at stake and you alone can understand the gravity of the situation."

"Er – what is it, then?" Harry asked.

"Do you not know, Harry Potter?" the centaur asked, "Do you not feel it coming?"

"It's about the war then."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Harry had wondered briefly how long he would survive after the death of Dumbledore. In reply, Firenze looked up and stared at the cloudless sky.

"For centuries, centaurs have studied the planets and their moons, unravelled the mysteries of their movements and learned of the future from watching the skies. And for as long as we can remember, we have kept out knowledge to ourselves, for we do not interfere with the movements of the planets and the workings of nature." He sighed. "But times are changing, Harry Potter, and it is our responsibility to change according to it. Even the centaurs need to learn this, but I fear this is more than we may expect from the others at this time."

Harry did not know where this apparent non sequitur was going, but Firenze seemed to think it was very important and Harry knew that deeper meanings could be extracted from things that looked too trivial on the surface.

"Mars is brighter than it ever was, Harry Potter. Darkness prevails and even the darkest hour in the past has never been so dark. Difficult times lie ahead, for humans as well as non-humans. War has arrived on our doorsteps. It doesn't matter which side you stay on, for it will affect everyone."

"No offence, but I figured that out myself." Harry replied a bit curtly.

Firenze seemed to ignore his tone and continued evenly.

"You must remember that you are at the centre of everything – the proverbial eye of the storm. The war revolves around you, Harry Potter, and this has been written in the skies a long time ago."

Harry stared at him, utterly stumped. He knew where this was going.

"You have faced dangers in the past, dangers you weren't ready to face and still emerged victorious. You had help, no doubt, but that does not change the truth about you. The road ahead is not a bed of roses – indeed it is nothing like anything you could have ever imagined. A time comes in our life, Harry Potter, when we have to make a choice. I chose my path to fight alongside humans. I was banished from my herd, but I can surely my choices are easier than the ones you have to make. I chose that path for I knew that it was the right thing to do. You too will have to make a choice regarding your path for your future depends on your choice and so does the future of this world. You will have to choose between what is right and what is easy, and believe me that this will not be easy. Everything depends on the choices you make. The stakes are very high Harry Potter, very, very high."

"But I do know what path I have to choose. And I know that it's not easy too." Harry retorted.

"You do, do you not? But remember that sooner or later you are going to realize just as I did – there is a difference between knowing the path, and walking the path." He sighed. "Even if you know the consequences, you may decide to overlook them. I ask you to not make the same mistakes the Headmaster made."

This time, Harry was stumped again.

"What? What mistakes are you talking about?"

"I had warned the Headmaster regarding the events that may come to happen. He chose to ignore my warnings." The centaur replied sadly.

"Are you trying to tell me," Harry asked calmly, but inside he felt a storm trying to break free, "that Dumbledore knew about Snape's would be betrayal? That he knew he was going to die. Betrayed and stabbed in the back?"

"The skies have never implied what you are saying Harry Potter. Truthfully, his death was never _seen_. The skies warned about the possibility of a _great setback_ for the human race. I had naturally assumed his death to be this great setback. He did not seem concerned. In fact, he said if anything happened to him, it would indeed be _for the greater good_. The only anomaly I can see is that this event has not yet occurred. In that case, the only conclusion would be that this event would be an even greater setback than the Headmaster's death. Do you know, what this means, Harry Potter?"

"Yeah, my own death", Harry replied with a grimace.

Harry wondered if someone had bewitched the ageing patriarch. The thought itself seemed ridiculous. But Harry was not sure anymore. He calmed himself with great effort and decided to concentrate on the matter at hand

"Can't you tell me something about it, the choice, I mean?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately, we cannot see past the choices that we do not understand. The time is still to come for you to choose your path. When you do make a choice, the future will be seen in the skies. The planets do not tell what is in store for you, but they do tell it is not easy. The stars shine down on you, Harry Potter. Only you must make the most of it."

"There is something you are not telling me."

Harry could see that the centaur was holding back something from him, hesitating a little. He did not want to know what it was, but felt that knowing it would definitely be useful. The centaur merely looked over Harry's shoulders, where his friends were waiting.

"Your friends are very close to you. They will be the first in the line of fire."

This time Harry stumbled back a couple of paces. He knew that they were in danger, of course, but he had never imagined Firenze would see something about their future as well in the skies. He did not believe a word Trelawney said, except for her prophecies. But there was something about Firenze that did not make him doubt.

"They are going to be alright, aren't they?" he asked, desperately.

"That will depend."

"Depend on what?"

"Your choices, Harry Potter, will decide their future – and also _if_ they have a future."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"They may be used as bait, to lure you out, to make you fight. The forces of the dark know you won't hesitate when it concerns someone close to you, someone you love. You have proven it already. In one hand you will have your friends life and in the other, your own. One of the two is going to face death. You have to decide which one."

Harry made a bitter face and smiled sadly. He remembered what Ronan had said six years ago. _"Always the innocent are the first victims. So it has been for ages past, so it is now."_ Maybe a quiet life wasn't really in Harry's future, _if he had one_.

"So, can you tell me when this even would happen?"

"It is set to happen as the seventh month dies."

Harry gave a dry chuckle. _Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony_.

"Can you see anything else? Any instructions, etc?" He asked in a desperate need of help.

"Just one piece of advice, Harry Potter – History repeats itself."

Harry was quite familiar with that. History had an amazing sense of repeating the attempts on his life. He was sure he would have to face Tom soon. And he would be damned if he went down without a fight.

"Forgive me for being the harbinger of bad news." Firenze continued, "You have a good soul, and I hate giving good people bad news. I leave you now, Harry Potter, with hopes that when the time comes, you will make the right choices. Farewell and Good luck. I do hope we meet again." With that he turned his back and began to walk towards the castle.

"Wait," Harry called after him. "Can't you even tell if we will?"

The centaur stopped but did not turn.

"Choice, Harry Potter. Everything comes back to the choices that we make."

The previous statement had caught Harry completely off guard. When they had parted in the past, Firenze had foretold that they would meet again. But now it seemed he too wasn't sure what Harry's fate was going to be. And after talking with Firenze, even Harry wasn't sure what surprises the future held in store for him.

As he turned around to meet Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna who were wearing identical inquisitive looks on their faces, he wondered how on earth he was going to explain this to them. His friends were the only people in the world that mattered to him. It scared him to think that their fates, and that of the world, would be in his hands. Only two words seemed to be echoing in his mind at this instance.

_Bloody Hell_.

**Author's Notes:**

Thanks are in order to the Wachowski brothers for letting me _borrow_ some of the lines.

This is just the beginning. Please Read and Review.

BETA needed.


	2. Surprise, Surprise

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Not my disclaimer either. In simple words, YOU CAN'T SUE ME.

**Spoilers:** PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, QTTA, FB.

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance.

**Rating:** R – For MATURE language and themes.

**Author's Notes:** Harry sure is for a rough ride this summer, his last and most happening one.

_**Chapter 1 – Surprise, Surprise**_

It had been two weeks since Harry had arrived at the Dursley's, his summer home for the last time in his life. Obviously, he did not like to be here, far from it actually. But he had promised Dumbledore he would stay here for this summer, and he was going to keep his promise. And so here he was, sitting at his window in the smallest bedroom of the Dursley house looking outside at the immaculate, though dull neighbourhood of Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.

He wondered again about his latest addiction, not anything dangerous or life threatening, of course. Something that was much simpler and satisfying at the same time – _sitting at the window_. He had been doing that regularly since he had come here. It gave him incentive to think, stimulated his brain cells perhaps. He would feel a sense of calm enveloping him, providing him with some much needed peace of mind. Occasionally he would sit on his bed and read a few books, but even he knew that it would not be able to hold his attention for too long. He would even spend a major part of the night staring at the sky, as if it would provide him an answer to all his problems. He sorely wished that it would.

His only other comforter was Hedwig, his snow white owl. If Harry didn't know better, he would think that she had fallen in love with him, _in a romantic way_. She would often spend her time with him, sitting on his shoulder, clicking her beak and nipping his ear affectionately, just being close to him. Harry thought that she could sense something was going to happen to him and so wanted to be there for him. Harry smiled fondly as he recalled the many years she had spent with him, as a companion and as a friend. He had spent much of his holiday time talking with her, and she would always be there to lend an ear. He felt that she really could understand him. Except for food, water and a tender caress, she had no expectations from him and this loving nature of hers endeared the most to him.

She even got a decent workout carrying letters to his friends. He would write to them at least twice a week and would receive a reply to each of his letters. They contained nothing but mundane topics like health enquiries, local new and such matters. The only important thing he had received from Hermione was a hope that Hogwarts would still open this year. From Ron, he got word of nothing but the happenings at the Burrow and current status of The Chudley Cannons. Ginny mentioned that Bill, who was wounded by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback, wasn't recovering as fast as the healers had hoped. As a result, both Mrs. Weasley and Fleur were fussing all day over him.

He also received some letters from Neville and Luna. While Neville would mention the various plants he managed to grow in his greenhouse, he also promised that he would be there for Harry whenever his help was required. Luna managed to reiterate the same point, though her letters were interspersed with ramblings about weird creatures and their properties.

Harry had hoped that at least this time his stay here would be bearable. His hopes had received a shock the second day he had arrived, and for a change it was a pleasant one.

His relatives had not spoken to him since picking him up from the King's Cross station. Harry felt that it suited him just fine. If they wanted to keep quiet and stay away from him, he definitely had no problems with that. But his joy at this particular thought had been short-lived as his uncle; Vernon Dursley had come knocking on bedroom door.

"Boy… er… that is Harry." Harry wanted to laugh at the effort it took to say his name. He wasn't some egotistical megalomaniac Dark Lord hell bent on a killing spree, for Merlin's sake. "Um… we, that is to say, me, your aunt and Dudley wanted to er… talk with you about… about something er… important. So I wanted to ask if you could come downstairs so that we could, er… have a little chat."

It was late Sunday afternoon. Everyone was at home. And the Dursleys had decided to have a chat with their much hated relative.

Harry followed his uncle straight into the sitting room where less than a year ago, they had had a marvellous conversation with Albus Dumbledore. He smiled sadly at the recollection. The aging Headmaster had left the Dursleys dumbstruck with his gift of the gab. Harry liked to think it was his talk that left them speechless and not any of the old man's eccentricities. He also remembered many occasions where Dumbledore had displayed this talent. He certainly had a way with words.

Harry's aunt Petunia was already sitting at one end of the sofa. Vernon occupied the other end, then looked around, not finding Dudley, bellowed his name. Harry took the armchair he had taken the previous time as Dudley waddled into the room and squeezed between them. He had an interesting expression on his face, a mixture of boredom, curiosity and loathing. Harry thought it made an interesting combination. He knew for sure that the whale look-alike most certainly wanted to be anywhere but in the presence of his _freak_ cousin, most likely in front of the computer playing his gun-wielding alter ego. Harry seriously thought the boy needed to be brought down to earth.

Harry had an immense feeling of _déjà-vu_. He felt an enormous loss looking at the armchair nearest to the fire that Dumbledore had previously occupied.

"Would you like some tea?" Petunia asked.

"Er… no thanks." Harry replied. He did not know what to say. He wondered if his relatives were under the influence of the _Imperius_ curse and were trying to poison him. He suddenly felt like a younger version of Mad-Eye Moody, paranoid from hair to toe, but without the swivelling eye, hideous scars and the artificial leg. Actually, he did have quite a well known scar, but it was no way hideous. _Paranoia is good Potter. It'll keep you on your toes._ He thought to himself.

"We", his uncle continued, "wanted to talk to you, and we were er… concerned about… about your future."

Now Harry definitely did not know what to say.

"Not that it is any of our business, of course", he continued hastily. "But if you remember, your Headmaster informed us the last time he visited that you would be coming of age and would not be returning here again. Not that we aren't pleased, 'coz we definitely are. We just wanted to see if you would be requiring any help. If you would need anything, then we could perhaps try to help you the best we can, as a parting gift certainly."

"I don't want to trouble you –" he began, only to be cut off by his aunt.

"Nonsense, Harry. We want to help you and we will try the best we can." Petunia said and Harry had the distinct feeling that his aunt was the main player here as was expressed by the tone she had used. His uncle and cousin were just playing their parts. This was just another way for them to get rid of the guilt they had accumulated over the years.

"No, uncle Vernon, aunt Petunia, you do not understand. I appreciate your concern, but I assure you that you do not need to trouble yourself. I have certainly got enough to eke out till I get a decent employment in a years time." _Aren't I the master of understatements?_ Harry wondered internally. "Actually I do have some that was left by godfather. But he was an escaped convict, so I don't know how much it is but I'll get through. I also have been left a house but it's, you know, not of the normal kind. In fact, it's downright dark and gloomy, and I don't know how anyone can manage to live in that godforsaken place. Overall, I think I can manage."

Harry did not want to think his uncle and aunt wanted something in return for letting him stay, so he decided to downplay everything.

"Are you sure Harry?"

"Yes. Though I do wonder what made you people to change your mind about me. It's not like you worried about me in the past. You always considered a good beating to be a cure for my _anomaly_." He replied disdainfully. _Better get to the root of this little chat._ He was slightly satisfied than his aunt winced a little at his statement, as if she had been struck violently.

"Do not take that tone with us boy. After all that we have done for you. Sheltered you, gave you food to eat, clothes to cover you…" Vernon exploded.

"Vernon, please." His aunt interrupted his uncle's rant. "Harry is right. We never cared for him as much we cared for Dudders. We could have treated him a little better."

"It doesn't matter now." Harry replied with a sense of finality. "We say our goodbyes in about a month and that's hopefully the last time we'll be seeing each other. I'll again like to say thanks for your generous offer but I think it has come a bit too late for any of us. I'll just ask that you let me stay here for a final time this summer and I will make sure not to trouble you by setting my foot on your doorstep ever again in this life."

"There's no problem Harry. We'll make sure that you are not troubled this time at least. I just wished that we'd say our goodbyes on a pleasant note." His aunt was the only one talking now. Vernon had decided to shut up and see wherever this chat was going.

"Yeah, me too."

"I also wanted to ask you some questions."

"Go ahead."

"So you become an adult when you turn seventeen?"

"Yeah, in _our_ world," he gave a special emphasis on _'our'_, "we become of age legally when we turn seventeen."

"And you can do, er… your thing, legally?"

Harry snorted at the mention of _'his thing'_.

"Yes, everyone above seventeen years of age is legally allowed to do magic. But we have laws for secrecy and all that stuff. Basically it means that we are not allowed to do anything in front of normal folk. We have to stay hidden from them."

"What job do you expect to do? You have jobs for people of your type, right?"

"We have our own government, as you may know, of course. There are various types of jobs that make use of our special skills."

"Oh. Well then, I think everything is in order. You can go to your room now. I'll just make sure dinner is on time."

All in all, Harry thought, the meeting had gone as good as expected. _Well, nobody died._ He added internally.

His brief time at his relatives was interspersed with surprises. Unfortunately, not all of them were pleasant ones. Remus Lupin had arrived a few days later and brought much unpleasant news with him. Harry had cancelled the subscription to the Daily Prophet. It never printed the actual truth anyway. And so Remus was his principal source of information.

The Death Eaters were attacking everywhere, muggle and magical towns alike. The attacks would be very brief, never lasting more than five minutes at a stretch, but the damage would be colossal. There were liberal uses of the unforgivable curses. It was quick, but most importantly it was nasty. Aurors and Obliviators for the muggles were running everywhere, but they would never get to the crime scene in time. The attacks would be so random that by the time the alarm was raised, the culprits would have left and be safe in their hideaway. The situation had become desperate.

It seemed that the Death Eaters had decided to celebrate Dumbledore's death as a long lasting party – pop at some random place, spread havoc and death, pop back home. The plan was simple, effective and highly successful; a basic hit-and-run strategy.

Even the dementors were quite active. There were reports in the muggle news of a mysterious plague that was causing confusion in the minds of _sign-tits_ or something similar, Remus had said, which had Harry rolling on the floor holding his sides, all the while thinking about signed tits. The entire intellectual muggle population was baffled as to how a vast number of people living in vicinity of each other would suddenly suffer from tremendous amount of coldness, depression, hallucinations of particular horrible events that had happened in their lives and what they all singularly described as a feeling that _they would never be happy again in their life_. Many of them appeared to be dead, most likely kissed by the dementors.

Even Scotland Yard was perplexed about the number of crimes committed that occurred under _unexpected circumstances_. There were no clues, of course, nor any motives or the standard ways in which the deeds were performed in the past. Murders behind closed doors were common, as were destruction of public and private properties. There wasn't a thread common to everything that had been happening. The only indication of magical warfare would be the horrendous Dark Mark that would be hovering above the target.

Snape's betrayal had shaken the Order of the Phoenix to its very core. The bold ones were still helping as much as they could, but some of the members had gone underground. There was wide spread dissent among those that still were in contact; there wasn't a common ground to achieve. Many wanted to save their own skins, trying to live another day. The death of their leader had drained them of their hopes.

"And if that was not enough", Remus continued, "Tonks has suddenly fallen ill. We had to admit her to St. Mungo's. Her condition was very bad when Arthur and I took her there. The Healers managed to stabilize her, but it looked like it would become worse before it becomes better."

"What happened to her?"

"Dunno. The healers think she may have been poisoned or even given a defective potion. Can't say why anyone would want to poison her. She was taking some potions for overexertion and magical exhaustion. Every auror takes them at least once a week. It's difficult to keep standing on your feet if you don't. Too much work to do, too much use of magic to cause exhaustion. The Death Eaters are making things worse for everyone."

"I hope she gets better. She's quite full of energy. I don't think anything would keep her down for long."

"Yes, she almost appears to be bubbling with energy," Remus added with a smile. "Except for last year when, you know…" he finished lamely.

"So, er… how are things going between you two?" Harry asked, wanting to tease the former Marauder, but was alarmed to see the slight sorrowful look. "You don't have to tell me", he added hastily.

"There's nothing to hide Harry. You know how I was trying to avoid her last year. There was a good reason for that. I think she liked someone, or so Sirius told me. He didn't tell who, just that she did. And before you say it, it wasn't me. Sirius would have said so, not in so many words, but I would know as I would have had a hard time stopping him from teasing me about it. I know it was someone because I did hear him teasing her plenty of times. Of course, I didn't know who exactly as he was quite proficient at implied talking. As for Tonks, in the beginning she would blush and stutter like mad and had even threatened him to be shipped to Azkaban. But she learnt to control herself and he knew she would never do it and the threat fell on deaf ears. I just couldn't figure out why she would start liking me."

"You are a nice guy Remus, don't forget that. Except for once a month when you face your _furry little problem_, you are quite the eligible bachelor. Er… you don't bat for the other team, do you?" He blurted out before he could stop himself.

Remus was actually stunned and so issued an indignant reply almost immediately in the negative. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds and burst out laughing at the humour of the situation.

"Sorry." Harry said after he had calmed down a bit.

"No problem, Harry. You just caught me off guard. But to answer your question, I really do think I am too old for her and very dangerous. That's why I had refrained from dating her. I do not, as you so eloquently put, bat for the other team. In fact, I actually dated, er… never mind about that. But I had decided to take it slow and see if this relationship will actually work. This happened the same time as the incident with Fleur and Bill. And now, she's in the hospital suffering from Merlin-knows-what. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Harry asked him who was it that he had dated. He had let it slip and Harry wanted to extract it from him. But Remus resolutely denied telling him the name of the mystery woman.

"It wasn't Moaning Myrtle, was it?" Harry asked him and Remus made an indignant sound between a snort and a growl.

"Ah, then it must be Madam Pomfrey. She used to help you during your werewolf days, wouldn't she? I definitely think you had the hots for her."

"Now, now, Harry, play nice. If I remember correctly, Poppy always says you are the one who has spent the maximum amount of time in the Hospital Wing. I don't even want to guess what goes on behind closed doors between you two when she sends the visitors away."

Remus smirked at Harry's horrified expression. Harry quickly learnt an important lesson that day that he shouldn't try to mess with the genial werewolf. He also understood why the man was the brains behind the pranks pulled by the Marauders.

Harry managed to change the topic of discussion quickly and informed Remus about his relatives' apparent change of heart. Remus was of a similar opinion that this was indeed a ploy they were trying to be free of their own guilt. They had continued talking for a long time during which Harry informed him of his break up with Ginny.

"I thought you liked her Harry." Remus had said. "You two looked quite good with each other. To be frank, it reminded me of your parents, Harry."

"I know Remus. After Dumbledore's death, I just thought about the war and everything else. The time we spent together was the best in my life. But that's not who I am, that's not what I have to do. It would not be fair for her to be in constant danger. Everything has a price and being with me has the ultimate one. Besides, she doesn't know what it's like to lose someone dear to us. I know that, you know that. True, she has been there for me when I needed her, my pillar of strength, but she deserves better."

"It's your choice, Harry. I would not object."

Remus' first visit had provided a bit of comic relief for Harry when he had left. That day, the old Marauder had visited like a muggle, through the front door after pressing the doorbell. When Harry's name had been called by his uncle, he found the pair shaking hands in the doorway. While Remus wore a very pleasant smile on his face, his uncle's face, au contraire, was turning a little blue. The reason for that became apparent to Harry when Remus left the same way, he had arrived. This time though, his uncle had refused to shake hands with him, giving just a wave and had stayed a little out of reach.

"Good man that, decent enough, friend of your parents, wasn't he?" His uncle enquired after Remus had left. Harry saw that he was continuously massaging his right hand.

"Yes." Harry had replied.

"Quite strong, very good grip he has." His uncle muttered. "He doesn't take any drugs or anything, does he?"

And then it came to him. His uncle had tried to bully Remus by trying to squeeze his hand, underestimating him due to his lanky and weak appearance, but had found himself unable to do so due to Remus' werewolf strength. Harry had to suppress a laugh.

"Oh that! No, he doesn't take drugs or anything. His strength is natural. It's one of the perks of being a werewolf."

Harry had stalled a couple of seconds to enjoy the horrified expression on his uncle's face and then quickly made his way up the stairs into his bedroom where he had to undergo a serious coughing fit as he tried in vain to hold back his mirth.

His also found himself answering many of his aunt's questions a couple of days later, with regards to the ongoing activities of the Death Eaters.

"These attacks are done by your people, aren't they?" She had asked one day.

"Yes." He has replied in a monotonous voice. He wasn't surprised to find that she had figured it out. There was also no point in denying the obvious.

"Do they really have a valid reason to cause these atrocities?"

"Well, they have only one rule. If you are non-magical or even related to non-magical people, you should die. It is simple to understand and easy to execute as well as very effective."

"How can you say such a thing? Do you not fear them?" She had been shocked by his candour.

"Considering that I have lived the last six years of my life, fighting these people and trying to stay alive, I just don't have the time to stop to be afraid. You stop, you die. They would sacrifice their lives for their leader just to try and do me in."

"But you are safe here, right?"

"Just till my seventeenth birthday. When I become an adult, the blood protections on this house will fail. That's the reason I won't be coming here any more."

"And after you are gone? We won't be safe here, will we?"

"These days, nowhere is safe, aunt Petunia. The protections are supposed to last till I come of age. After that, I have to take care of myself. As for you, you would be safe only if you leave the country."

Harry had decided that he would in fact leave a couple of days before his birthday. This way, he could be sure that the Death Eaters wouldn't try to gatecrash on his birthday.

Remus' second visit had brought more disastrous news. The random attacks still continued, but there was grave news concerning Tonks. Harry was rather surprised by the agitated state of the normally quiet werewolf, who was almost ready to pull his hair apart.

"It's a bloody nightmare. And I am absolutely insane."

These proclamations were the ones with which Harry was greeted and he immediately inferred the gravity of the situation.

"The Healers have found traces of residual love potion in her system." Remus continued. "The potion, as far as they can tell, is not among the standard ones brewed, but it is beyond doubt a love potion. She was under that influence of a bloody love potion! They say it is a very ingenious one. Ha! _Ingenious my arse!_ It was supplied as a mixture of the normal potions aurors take and of course the vile concoction. Didn't leave a single indication either about its actual intention and was untraceable, colourless and odourless. She was on it for a long time. How long – as long as she was trying to get me to date her – such a bloody long time. And what do these people say – it's ingenious. The recent ones she ingested were completely safe. The adverse effects happened since she had stopped taking those things."

All this while, he worked himself up in frenzy and was rapidly pacing back and forth in the smallest bedroom. Harry was sure the older man was trying to carve a trail in the floor. He knew the last full moon had only been a couple of days ago and Remus hadn't fully recovered from it yet. Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to compose the hysteric man or go out and rip the throats of whoever had done this to one of his good friends. At last, Remus seemed to calm down and sat heavily in the chair with his head in his hands.

"She's going to be okay, isn't she?" Harry asked. He figured taking a practical approach was a good choice.

"Physically, she will recover. Emotionally, I don't know. It's a big blow, Harry. She wasn't in control of her emotions for almost a year. I can't even begin to imagine how she must be feeling. I don't even know how I'll face her. I should have known there was something wrong."

"You couldn't have known. And you, as well as her, aren't at fault. If anyone is responsible then it's the person who gave her the potions. We should try to catch him and beat the hell out of him. Did you at least speak to her?"

"No. She was released yesterday, while I was sleeping off my exhaustion due to the transformation. No one, even Arthur, was informed. She just demanded the Healers to release her. As there wasn't anything physically wrong with her, they couldn't keep her there. She even asked them not to tell anyone. The Healers have to honour the patient's wishes, so they are not at fault. I have searched her everywhere I could think of, but couldn't find her anywhere. She has the ability to disappear from sight due to her skills and I doubt anyone can find her if she doesn't want to. I just hope she is alright."

Harry prayed that she wasn't as foolhardy as he was. Else, she would just jump ahead without looking back and try to find the person who had wronged her and skin him alive. While that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it was beyond doubt very dangerous and she could really get hurt. He had learnt that lesson the hard way. Besides, she had made quite an impression on him when she had arrived with his house as a part of the Advanced Guard in the summer after his fourth year. And truthfully speaking, he had missed her liveliness the most whenever he had met her in the last year. The morose look didn't suit her as well as it suited him.

"Do you know who did it?" Harry asked, focussing his thoughts on the issue at hand.

"We have no idea, Harry." Remus replied in a dejected voice. "I just can't wait to find that bastard. And when I do find him, full moon or not, I'm going to shred him to bits."

Harry was taken aback by the ferociousness in Remus' voice. He understood that under than cool exterior lived a very dangerous creature and anyone who crossed his path would curse their decision for the rest of their life, if they managed to escape alive and intact.

Remus had then informed him that the Order had requested his presence in the next meeting which was supposed to take place in a couple of days. Harry knew that one of the topics on the agenda was definitely with regards to his outing with Dumbledore just before he was killed. He wasn't sure if he should share any information about the day's events with the Order. He just had to wait and see how things proceed and then play it by ear.

He looked across his desk where a piece of parchment lay that had arrived this morning. It was a letter from Remus stating that there was going to be an Order meeting today afternoon and that somebody, most probably Remus himself, would be coming to pick him up at around one thirty to two o'clock. Harry looked at his battered old alarm clock that he had repaired several years ago and saw that it was exactly half past one. So he expected Remus to arrive sometime soon. He had already informed his aunt that he would be leaving for some hours for a meeting. She wanted to ask for details but wisely refrained from doing so. Five minutes later, a haggard looking friendly werewolf arrived in the room with a soft pop.

"Hello Harry." He greeted. "Shall we get going then?"

"How are we getting there?" Harry asked.

"We are going to apparate, of course. I know you haven't received your license yet, but you can apparate. So we'll do a side-along apparition. It would be legal as long as you have someone with a license with you. Do you remember the patch of grass where we landed after our little broom journey. Good. Alastor has put up a ward, a bigger version of _notice-me-not_ charm coupled with a muggle repelling ward, around it to avoid detection by the local folk. We'll apparate there, quickly make our way inside Headquarters and can talk later, okay?"

Harry nodded his assent, gripped the older man's left arm firmly and pictured the scene clearly in his mind.

"Good, we do this on three. One, two and three…"

There was once again the feeling of being squeezed from all directions for a small moment of time as everything went blank. The next thing he knew, he was standing on the same unkempt patch of grass alongside Remus. The pair quickly made there way inside the house that had popped into existence, apparently from nowhere, in to the kitchen, where Remus provided him with a bottle of butterbeer from the pantry and sat down gulping one himself.

"You found anything about Tonks?" Harry asked.

"No." Remus replied. "We have people looking for her everywhere, but they haven't had any success as of yet."

"So where is everybody?"

"People will arrive soon. We don't use this place any more. The Fidelius still exists, but after Dumbledore's death, we cannot bring in new members as he was the secret keeper. To do that, we would need to break the charm and then do it all over again. No one thinks it is worth the effort required to redo everything. Some extra wards have been added so that Snape won't be able to enter. We are just meeting some of the people who already know about this."

"So who is coming then?"

"You'll see."

Harry gathered that Remus was not in the mood for idle chit chat and so sat quietly sipping his bottle of butterbeer. He figured that Tonks being with him without being in control of her own emotions had hit him hard. He didn't mind the comfort of silence. After all, he was alone and lived in silence for a major part of the day.

Suddenly, the kitchen fireplace flared up and a head of a balding man appeared in the now emerald green flames. Harry thought that he had seen that man somewhere before, but couldn't recall where. Remus, on the other hand, quickly made his way over to the fireplace and dropped to ground in front of it, a trace of fear across his face.

"Remus," the man was saying urgently. "We need to help. There's a large crowd of Death Eaters in Budleigh Babberton. They are attacking as we speak. We think he has gone after Slughorn. He always wanted that potion master. But the whole village is under heavy attack."

"Don't worry. I'll see what help I can get and come as soon as possible."

Remus stood up even as the man nodded and his head disappeared and turned towards Harry.

"Harry, I need to go and help them. Come, I'll take you first to your aunt's house."

"Remus, no, you need to help them. I'll be safe here. You can take me back when you return. Just go now." Harry said in a pleading tone.

"Are you sure Harry? I don't know when I would be back. It could take much more time than you could expect."

Harry could see that Remus still had some doubts but there was no time to waste.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just… just take care of yourself, okay? I won't be happy to find you in St. Mungo's."

Remus nodded wordlessly, pulled him into a one-armed hug and quickly disappeared in thin air, leaving Harry to wonder just what he was going to do staying alone in _The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black_.

Harry decided to stay as calm as possible so as to not disturb the portrait of Mrs. Black. He was sure that he wasn't in the mood to listen to the idiotic screeching rants of the miserable old hag. His memories took him to the time he had spent here with Sirius and he found himself in sombre mood thinking about the possibility of a future, however dark, with his godfather standing by his side. Including Remus and Dumbledore, Sirius was the closest link he had to his parents and he was disappointed to let him go. He made his way to Sirius' room and found it covered with dust as no one had ventured into it. He also found a book, which incidentally was a muggle one, resting on a small study table. The title was 'The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy' written by someone called Douglas Adams. It had a bookmark about halfway through it. _Sirius must have been reading this_, he thought.

Harry had received no word about the ongoing battle and he just prayed everyone was going to be alright. It was already dinner time and he was getting quite restless, and even very hungry. He found some sandwiches and pumpkin juice in kitchen and consumed them with gusto. He went back to Sirius' room and began reading the book he had found earlier. Earlier, he had spent time looking out of the window, but got bored very soon, and so had switched over to reading the book. He soon understood that the author was either totally insane, or had a very good power of imagination, or both. Harry was more inclined towards the third option.

It was almost half past ten that Harry realised he had spent the last few hours immersed in the book. He also had received no updates about the battle, neither had anyone been in the house. He found his eyelids getting heavier and soon enough gave out a huge yawn. He had no clothes to sleep in and so borrowed some pajamas from Sirius' wardrobe. They weren't the perfect fit, but were good enough for one night. Not feeling any inclination to go into any other room, he threw himself on to the king sized bed and quickly fell asleep.

He awoke some time later drenched in cold sweat. He looked at his watch and saw it was almost three o'clock. He didn't have regular nightmares any more, but being in the dreadful house had somehow triggered those bad memories about Sirius' fall through the veil and his battle with Bellatrix. His mouth felt dry and he made his way downstairs to the kitchen to have some water. He felt rather refreshed even though he had slept for so little time. In fact, this was the normal amount of sleep that he got everyday, but for him, it was enough.

He sat at the kitchen table, sipping water and staring at the fireplace hoping against hope that someone, at the very least Remus, would come tumbling out of it any instant. He had the unmistakable sound of opening of the many magical locks on the front door and his heart leapt up with joy thinking that Remus had indeed returned. He stepped out of the kitchen and saw that a figure in robes was making its way through the door, staggering slightly in the feeble light. The person was swaying in a manner that made him sure, would result in being spread flat on the ground.

The figure barely missed the umbrella stand by a couple of inches and Harry heaved a sigh of relief. It wouldn't do any good to wake up Mrs. Black at this ungodly hour. The second sway was much more dangerous and Harry rushed forward to intercept its fall. To his utter amazement, he found his legs tangling with each other and fell face first on the floor. He rolled over to find that the figure had somehow managed to catch itself and was waving a wand in an elliptical manner that made the torches on the walls to spring to life.

He closed his eyes at the sudden flash of light, and then slowly opened them to see a pale heart-shaped face with violet eyes and medium length bubble-gum-pink hair smiling down at him.

"Wotcher Harry" Tonks said, still smiling. "You know, there's no need to keep throwing yourself at my feet. You can just ask if you need… anything."

"Tonks" Harry said, still in a daze and unable to figure out the innuendo behind whatever she had said. He only knew that she was here, peering at him as he was lying on the floor, while Remus as well as others had tried very much, and without luck of course, to locate her. Also, one other thought had just furiously jumped to the foremost in his already muddled brain, setting all others behind it. _Damn it! Why does she always have to find me lying on the floor_?

**Author's Notes:**

Next Chapter – Time with Tonks.

Please Read and Review.

BETA needed.


	3. A Friend in Need

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Not my disclaimer either. In simple words, YOU CAN'T SUE ME.

**Spoilers:** PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, QTTA, FB.

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance.

**Rating:** R – For MATURE language and themes.

**Author's Notes:**

_**Chapter 2 – A Friend in Need**_

"Tonks" Harry said, as he scrambled back to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I am, silly. Although I must say even though I am the clumsy one, it wasn't me falling down face first on the floor, was it?"

She giggled slightly and Harry had to struggle hard to fight down the blush creeping up his neck and cheeks. Tonks haltingly removed her robes to reveal her customary attire of jeans and a T-shirt. She swayed again as she tried to throw her robes in the corner and this time he caught her without falling. He swung one of her arms around his shoulders and led her towards the kitchen. He saw that her other hand was holding a bottle of some kind of alcohol, probably firewhiskey, and surmised that she was definitely drunk. How on earth she managed to miss the dreaded umbrella stand, he didn't know. He helped her to one of the chairs and then pulled out another bottle of butterbeer from the pantry.

He looked at the young woman and found her staring morosely at the bottle of firewhiskey she had placed in front of her on the table as couple of tears made their way down her cheeks. Though on the surface, her appearance was clearly like the one she had before her emotional trouble, Harry knew that from the inside, she was very depressed. He wanted nothing than to try and comfort her, but didn't feel that he could do it as being severely lacking in that department. He could fight basilisks, dragons, dementors, Death Eaters and even some megalomaniac Dark Lords, and hold his own quite comfortably. Dealing with crying women was way out of his league. He seriously thought Hermione should write the book about women and their moods.

_Come on, Potter. You can do this. You have to do this._ He told himself.

He went round and sat on the chair next to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. As she turned her face towards him, the grief in her eyes almost made him cry out at the injustice of all that had happened. She gave him a tired smile.

"I am fine Harry."

"No, you are not. And I don't expect you to be after everything you have been through. I just want you to know that I am there for you if you need anything. You are a good friend and have saved my ass in the past. I just want to help you in any way I can."

"Thank you." She said simply, but with a smile full of gratitude.

"People are looking all over for you, you know? You left so suddenly from St. Mungo's and nobody had a clue you had gone."

"I don't know why they should be looking for me. I am an adult, aren't I? That means I can take care of myself. I don't see why I should tell anyone that I was leaving." She said in an angry voice. She then proceeded to open the bottle of firewhiskey and take a couple of big gulps directly from it.

Harry was again amazed at the sudden mood swing. He realised that she was hurting very much and trying to distance herself from everyone, just as he had tried to do a couple of years back. After all, he did consider himself the king of violent mood swings. He knew he had to be understanding and gentle if he had any hopes of bringing her out of her depression.

"People care about you Tonks, even if you believe it or not. Everyone was worried about you. They know you are an adult, but that doesn't stop them from worrying, does it?" He said in a soft, but firm, voice.

"Everyone?" She asked, and Harry felt her voice take a vulnerable tone.

"Yes, everyone." He said, in a soothing voice. "Remus, the Weasleys, and people from the order… they were searching all over for you. Everyone cares about you."

"They really care about me?" She asked in a small voice, staring at her hands in her lap.

"Yes." Harry replied, patiently.

"Even you, Harry?" This time her voice was barely a whisper, but Harry heard her perfectly in the stillness of the night.

"Yes, even me. Why do you ask? Didn't you think I would?"

"Yes… I mean no. I mean… I just feel so alone."

"You are not alone, Tonks."

Harry knew how it was to be all alone, thinking you had no friends. He had had that experience in the beginning of his fifth year. He wished none of his friends would have to face such a depressing feeling in their life.

She gave him a smile, a small one, but genuine nonetheless, which Harry returned. He got up to get another butterbeer from the pantry. He looked back and saw that Tonks had lifted the bottle to her mouth and was trying to finish it all at once. He sighed. He just hoped she would be alright. He stood with his back to the wall, looking at her. She was truly a wonderful person and it saddened his heart to see her suffer like this. _It's not fair_, he thought. _But life seldom is_, a voice in the back of his head replied in a mocking tone.

He came back to the present and saw that she was staring back at him, with a strange gleam in her eyes.

"Harry," she said in a soft voice. "Do you know what this is?"

Harry saw that she was pointing at the bottle and realised that the bottle was completely empty.

"Is it firewhiskey?" He asked, he had already guessed that was what contained in the bottle.

"Yes. This is a bottle of Ogden's Finest. Do you know how many I've had?"

"Er… one maybe." Harry knew it definitely wasn't the first one she had consumed judging by the way he had seen her enter, but he didn't want to think that he was right. Besides, he didn't know where these questions were headed.

Tonks giggled and got up slowly from her chair, steadying herself by holding it.

"No, silly. It's the," she stopped as if calculating, "third one." She said at last. "Yes, third one, I think."

Harry saw that she was slowly making her way towards where he was standing with his back to the wall.

"You know what this means, don't you?" she asked as she giggled again.

"Er… what does that mean?" Harry asked, feeling nervous and slightly stupid. He didn't like where this was going and she was already only a foot away from him, invading his personal space.

"This means," she said as she closed the gap between them, pressed her body lightly against his and kissed his right cheek, "that," she kissed his left cheek, "I am drunk and so," she kissed him lightly on the lips as he felt his face burn, "so I am sure that we can find some way to entertain ourselves."

"Tonks…" he started.

"Mm… hmmm…" He heard the throaty reply.

"Tonks, stop. We shouldn't be… be doing this."

She started kissing his lower jaw, his chin, his neck and he found himself unable of generating any rational thought as she kissed and sucked on his sensitive spots. His head moved involuntarily to give her better access and a moan escaped his lips as he felt her bite the tender skin. She brought her lips to his and kissed him softly. They were almost equal in height, facilitating the kiss. He felt her soft, luscious lips on his own, driving him crazy.

His mind, already on overdrive, could think nothing but to close his eyes and kiss her back. The bottle of butterbeer he had clenched in his hand fell to the floor as his left arm went around her waist, holding her body close to his own and his right grasped her smooth hair. He was acting completely on his instincts alone. He felt her tongue, brushing against his lips, demanding entrance, and he gladly complied. Her tongue entered his mouth, bringing in the taste of firewhiskey and he felt himself completely intoxicated by the woman in his arms. He wanted nothing but to keep doing this for the rest of his life as her hands made her way under his shirt and to play across his chest.

On an impulse, he turned them around so that her back way now towards the wall, his body still pressed against hers. The kiss was becoming more and more demanding and his tongue made its way on the other side battling for dominance. Her hands were now playing across his back where he felt small pinpricks of pain, as her nails dug into his skin. But the small pain was greatly negated by the feelings of pleasure coursing through his entire body. He also didn't have time to think about those spots of pain as compared to the feeling of euphoria he was currently feeling.

He broke the kiss to study her face and saw a glazed look in her violet eyes which, he was sure, was mirrored in his own emerald green ones. Before he could waste more time, she had already pulled his head back, closing the distance he had created and the kiss resumed again with wild abandon. He only knew that he was kissing her and she was kissing him back. Nothing else mattered. He tried to put all the passion he could muster into the kiss and could feel her respond equivalently.

A small voice in the back of his mind was slowly gaining some resemblance of thought. It was of the opinion that he should not be doing this as he simply was taking advantage of the vulnerable woman. This opinion was violently squashed by the remaining voices in his brain saying that they were enjoying it very much and therefore should not be disturbed. They also advised the rebelling voice to be a part of the enjoyment, which it immediately refused.

All this time, Harry was kissing Tonks, and was being kissed back, with great passion. The only thing that mattered was the feeling of extreme lust coursing through his body. He could feel his arousal building and now pressing against her body, to which she responded by grinding her hips against his, leaving him to moan in pleasure.

He broke the kiss again due to lack of air, but immediately focused his attention on her face, much the same way as she had done earlier. He kissed her lips again, lightly and then made his way to her neck. Though he had had some heated snogging sessions with Ginny, none of them were on the same level of intensity as the one he was having currently. He lacked experience, but he was a quick learner. He kissed, sucked and nibbling on her sensitive spots, as he had learnt from her earlier, and was pleased to hear her moan. He could feel her hands in his hair, guiding him wherever she wanted, and holding him there. She had a very strong grip on his hair, clenching it, but again he did not mind the small amount of pain.

She tugged hard on his hair to lift his face to hers, for another quick kiss. Then just as he had done earlier, she turned them around, so that his back was again towards the wall. At the same time, his hands went under her t-shirt, feeling the smooth and soft skin of her back. She brought one of her hands to the top button of his shirt, fumbling to remove them, her other hand going back to grope his ass, all the while kissing him hungrily. Then, as she found that she couldn't open the buttons and was wasting too much time attempting to do so, she pulled away from him, brought both of her hands to the middle portion of his shirt, caught each fold with either hand and pulled violently, causing all the buttons to pop open.

Satisfied with herself, she resumed attacking his mouth with her, leaving her hands to roam across his chest. She broke the kiss a few moments later and directed her attention to his now exposed chest. He was hard pressed to contain his excitement as feelings of pleasure and pain flowed through him as she kissed, sucked and nibbled the tender skin on his chest. He let out another moan as her attention was directed to his sensitive spots.

He pulled her face to his once again as their lips met each other and was caught up in yet another fiery kiss. His hands, once again, found their way around her, squeezing her ass to pull her further against him, eliciting a moan of pleasure. The kiss was as demanding as the previous ones as both of them responded passionately.

The small voice in the back of his mind raised its ugly head once again, but this time it wasn't as small as it was before. It once again reiterated its opinion in a much clearer tone, trying to penetrate the haze of lust clouding his mind. Slowly, Harry found himself coming back to reality as he was caught in another heated kiss. The voice was getting louder, and he could now understand it clearly. He broke the kiss and put his forehead against her, panting heavily from the apparent heavy workout.

But then he found that Tonks was evidently unhappy with this break in activity and caught his lips again with her own. He pulled apart one more time as he tried to find his now lost voice.

"Tonks… stop." He was still breathing very heavily, making him say a word at a time. "Stop, this is getting out of control. If we don't stop now, I won't be able to hold back."

"I don't want you to stop, Harry." She replied and tried to kiss him again. Harry saw that her eyes still carried a little dazed look.

"No, we have to stop now, before it gets out of control."

"You don't want me, do you? You don't like me at all. You don't care about me." He saw that her eyes were becoming clearer. "Make out and then let go, that's how you are, aren't you? Want a toy to play with? There's always Tonks to make you happy. All men are pigs. I thought you were different. But you are just like the rest of them."

Harry knew she was still under the influence of the alcohol in her system and was not thinking clearly. His heart clenched painfully as he understood why she was saying this. She thought he had used her. He pulled her in a firm hug. She struggled in his grip for quite some time but then relaxed slightly and seemed to sag against his chest, sniffling slightly as tears streamed down her face and on to his open chest. He caressed her cheek with his thumb and wiped the tears from her face. He held her in his arms trying valiantly to comfort her.

He lifted her chin and saw that her eyes were closed but the tears still made their way down her cheeks.

"Tonks, look at me." He said softly.

When she did not comply, he repeated himself once more in a firm, yet soft, tone.

"Tonks, please look at me."

She opened her eyes to look in his emerald green eyes and saw tears flowing down his face.

"I do care about you."

He kissed her once again and pulled back a couple of moments later.

"But this is not the right time. You have been through a lot and while it would be easy to forget everything in the haze of lovemaking right now, you will regret it later. You will feel I took advantage of you when you were in a vulnerable state. It will surely damage our friendship and I won't let that happen. Please try to understand me." He said in a pleading voice,

Tonks saw the sincerity in his eyes and nodded and he immediately gave a sigh of relief. He pulled her firmly against himself and found her clutching him with all her might. He understood she needed someone to be there for her, to understand her and was glad he could do it. He bent down and lifted her in his arms and was surprised to find how less she weighed. He then carried her up the staircase to the room she used to occupy earlier, and gently led her on the large bed. He gave her a reassuring smile and started to get back to the room he had slept in, but was stopped as she held his left hand in her own.

"Harry, please… please stay with me. I don't want to be alone." She said in a small voice.

Harry hated seeing her in such a vulnerable state and had a feeling of something squeezing his heart tightly.

"Are you sure?" he asked gently.

She nodded and he gave her another smile. He sat in the bed next to her and she immediately repositioned herself so that her head came to rest on his chest. He put an arm around her and held her close to him, comforting her, howsoever he could. He still felt her sniffling as tears fell down her cheeks, soaking his shirt, which he had just pulled close due to the absence of buttons. His other hand found its way to her hair, brushing it softly. He prayed internally, wishing that he could heal her of her traumatic experience.

He didn't know how long he sat there holding her, trying to soothe her. The pale moonlight coming from the window gave a feeble light, but it was enough to illuminate her face. He had lost his sleep a long time ago and was aware that even she was awake, crying silently. He knew he should get something for her in order to make her sober, but didn't know how to accomplish that. Then, an amazing idea came to his mind, but he wasn't sure if it would work.

"Dobby." He called out in the night air.

Tonks was suddenly startled from her reverie, but he held her reassuringly. There was a few seconds of silence and Harry was sure his idea wouldn't work. Suddenly a sharp crack rang out in the small room, revealing a house elf wearing a shrunken maroon jumper and several woolly hats. Tonks made a muffled 'eeep' sound and twitched in his arms.

"Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter sir is calling Dobby? Dobby is having trouble finding Harry Potter but Dobby is being determined to find sir. Dobby wants to say sorry for not coming at once."

Tears welled up in the creature's large eyes and he eyed the wardrobe wanting to bang up his head against it. Harry, who knew this perfectly, intervened immediately.

"No, Dobby, it's alright. No harm done."

"Sir is being too kind to Dobby. Dobby is pleased to be seeing Harry Potter again, sir!"

"It's good to see you too, Dobby. I wanted to ask you if Madam Pomfrey stays at Hogwarts during the summer holidays. I, kind of, needed some help from her."

"Dobby is sorry, sir, but Madam Poppy is not staying at Hogwarts during holidays. There is no one to be taking care of. But Dobby can find Madam Poppy for Harry Potter sir if sir wishes for it."

"Thank you, Dobby. You are the best."

"Harry Potter sir is a great wizard and even then is thanking Dobby. Dobby is being so pleased…"

"Yes, well, Dobby if you do find her, tell her that Tonks is a, er… little drunk and feeling rather under the weather, so if she can do anything to help her, I'll greatly appreciate it."

"Dobby will be doing that, sir. Dobby is always pleased to be helping Harry Potter, sir!"

With a snap of his fingers, Dobby vanished from the spot with a loud crack, leaving Harry to wonder just how much he had managed to influence the eccentric little house elf. He knew he owned Kreature, but had no faith in the elf's sincerity.

It was almost the crack of dawn as the early rays of the sun came through the window, illuminating the room and its occupants, when Dobby appeared with another crack holding three small vials in his hands. He put then gently on the bedside table and began to give out instructions.

"Madam Poppy is saying she is glad to be helping Harry Potter sir and his Tonksy." Harry heard Tonks giggle in his chest, apparently at her new name.

"She is also saying that she is happy that sir has managed not to harm himself." Harry had to stifle a groan.

"She was thinking that sir himself was drunk but Dobby managed to convince her that it was in fact Harry Potter's Tonksy." He heard Tonks giggle again.

"Madam Poppy is advising Tonksy to take the green vial first, then the red and then the dark blue. They is containing Sobering potion, Calming draught and Pepper-up potion. She is also saying that she will be feeling happier if she does not has to be giving these potions again."

Dobby finished his little monologue and stood up looking up expectantly at Harry.

"Thank you very much, Dobby." Harry said in a heartfelt voice.

"Dobby is happy to be helping Harry Potter sir and his Tonksy. Dobby will go and make breakfast now. If sir is needing anything else, please be free to call Dobby and Dobby will come immediately."

Dobby disappeared with another snap of his fingers and a loud crack. Harry gently extracted himself from Tonks' firm grip and handed her the bottles one by one. He watched as she made faces drinking the three concoctions and steam escaped from her ears when the third potion had been consumed. She glared at him playfully as if it was his fault the potions tasted so bad. She broke in to another fit of giggles and then sat next to him with her head on his shoulders. His arm automatically went around her, holding her firmly by his side.

It was another hour before she looked up at him. Their eyes met and Harry could see the feeling of gratitude that swam in her violet ones. He saw that she appeared calm and collected and for the first time, he could see traces of the old Tonks rising to the surface from where they had been buried.

"Thank you for understanding me, Harry. You can't imagine how much this means to me." She said, her voice cracking slightly.

"I'm glad I could help." He replied in a sincere tone.

"I should get up now, freshen up a bit, can't stay in bed all day. Though, I must say, it isn't such a bad idea with you being there for company." She winked at him.

Harry laughed. _Yep, the playful Tonks was returning for sure._

"It's wonderful to know that my presence is greatly appreciated." He said, getting out of bed, and made a mocking bow.

She reached out to swat him on the head, but he escaped deftly past her and out of the door. He went up to Sirius' room he had occupied earlier as it had a personal bathroom and was out half an hour later, all clean and fresh. He again _borrowed_ some clean clothes from the wardrobe that didn't look too big on him. The jeans fit perfectly but the t-shirt was a little loose. Overall he looked good enough and he only received a comment from the mirror to get rid of his unruly hair. He went to the kitchen and saw that Dobby had indeed prepared a sumptuous meal, which was still warm, and thanked him mentally. He was also worried that he had received no word from Remus and wished he would return soon.

Tonks came down the stairs five minutes later and Harry was glad to see she had a radiant smile on her face. She approached him and gave him a hug, which he returned happily.

"Thank you once again, Harry."

"No problem. Breakfast?"

"Yes, I'm starving."

They enjoyed their breakfast in each others company and made small talk without breaching the sensitive subjects. Harry had to say that this was much better that eating with his relatives. The food was great and the company was pleasant. They talked about mundane things. Tonks talked about her training as an auror, giving him many pointers and Harry gained much useful insight about the art of dueling. He did a fair bit of talking himself telling stories about his adventures at Hogwarts.

They finished their breakfast and continued chatting merrily for a long time, forgetting about the hardships of the past. At about half past ten, they were interrupted by the sound of the many magical locks opening and Harry darted out to find Remus standing in the doorway. His head and left hand were bandaged but otherwise he looked perfectly healthy. He waved at him happily.

"Sorry, Harry. It took longer than I expected. But I was able to find my way out pretty quickly."

"Come in, Remus. Come and look who I found." Harry replied; glad to see Remus was fine.

At the same time, Tonks made her way to stand beside Harry and he could see the look of total shock and amazement on the older man's face.

"TONKS!" Remus exclaimed loudly and almost ran towards her. "Are you alright?"

But then the thing happened that Harry wanted to avoid at all costs. Remus' excitement had led him to forget about the umbrella stand on which he stumbled as he made his way towards them. The resulting clang had managed to awaken the portrait of Mrs. Black and she was now screeching with all her might.

"_Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers! Mudbloods! Creatures of dirt besmirching this house…"_

Harry had had enough of the screaming old had and wanted nothing more to toss her in the fire. He marched towards her and started to close the curtains around her when he had a brilliant idea. He decided to go all Dumbledore on her.

He stood perfectly still in front of her, staring while she seemed to shriek her way into oblivion. At last when she took a small break in her rant, he decided now was a good time to begin.

"Hello, Mrs. Black." He greeted her in a cheery voice. "It has been a long time since we met. You appear as charming as ever."

"What do you want, you filthy mudblood?" She shouted out angrily.

He looked back and saw Remus and Tonks were looking at him as if he had grown another head.

"Ah… nothing much that you can provide, but nevertheless, thank you for your generous offer."

Harry heard snorts coming from Remus and Tonks.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Your son, Sirius, do you remember him? Good. Now he left this house to me in his will. Since I am now the owner of this house, I figured it is my duty to check out if everything is in order."

"Will? What do you mean, boy?"

"Oh! Don't you know? Sirius was killed while fighting the Death Eaters. Bellatrix killed him. She sent him flying right through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries." Harry had to fight hard to maintain a cheery disposition, but he knew he had to get his point across.

"My son, Sirius, is dead?" She appeared to lose her composure for a fraction of a second, and then took control of the situation once again. "Well, I must say, good riddance."

"Yes, well, the main reason I approached you is because I couldn't help but overhear what you were saying. And I was quite surprised by what I heard. So I just wanted to clarify a few matters, if that's alright with you. After all, you are the matriarch of Black family and so who better to ask?" _Couldn't help but overhear; my ass!_ He thought internally.

She just glared at him and nodded.

"At least you have some manners." She said in a snide tone.

Harry continued to smile at her. _Dumbledore would be so proud. If only I could manage that damn twinkle of his…_

"Thank you. Now, see whether I understand this correctly, anyone except a pure-blood is a vile creature, am I correct?"

"Yes, definitely so." She replied haughtily.

"And am I also correct in assuming that you approve the actions Bellatrix as she serves the commands of the Dark Lord and tries to rid the world of this, so called, filth?"

"Yes." The reply was instant.

Harry smiled once again, a cold, cruel smile. He was going to enjoy this.

"You approve following his orders even though the Dark Lord himself is a half-blood?"

The woman in the portrait seemed taken aback at the sudden turn of events. She couldn't manage to formulate a reply for a few seconds while she kept staring at him, for saying such an earth shattering truth. Suddenly she composed himself and managed to shout out a reply.

"Don't lie, you filthy half-blood. The Dark Lord has the purest of blood flowing through his veins."

"I don't deny I am a half-blood, Mrs. Black. But I must assert that your precious Dark Lord is definitely a half-blood. In fact, he may not even be a half-blood now, come to think of it. I agree that his mother had the purest of blood flowing through her veins. She was a descendent of Salazar Slytherin himself and was a pure-blood to her core. But she fell in love with, and later married a muggle. They had a son, Tom Marvolo Riddle, named after his father, Tom Riddle, who was definitely a simple muggle. This child went on to become a Dark Lord. But that doesn't change who he really is. Then he tried to kill me and lost his body. He got a new one a couple of years back by using my blood, the blood of a half-blood, for his resurrection. Now, he doesn't even have his mother's pure blood, but mine instead, flowing through his veins. What do you think about this Dark Lord now, Mrs. Black? Do you still think he is all high and mighty when he has tried to kill me and failed each and every time for the last sixteen years?"

"You lie. I refuse to believe your lies." She reiterated, but this time her voice did not hold the arrogance and confidence it had earlier.

"Denial is the most basic of all human responses. You won't believe me howsoever I may try to state the truth. Fortunately, I have a rather neat trick to convince you."

He pulled out his wand, tucked in the back pocket of his jeans and held it in front of himself.

"I, Harry James Potter, hereby swear on my magic that the information provided by me to the portrait of Mrs. Black concerning the Dark Lord is completely true and not a fabrication of my imagination."

There was a flash of light emitted by his wand that encompassed him as he was surrounded in a red glow for a few moments. When the light subsided, he returned his wand to its resting place and glanced at the portrait to see her staring unbelievably at him.

"Do you believe me now, Mrs. Black?"

The woman just nodded her head in agreement, albeit reluctantly so.

"What do you want from me?"

"I wish nothing but to stop you from screaming every time someone makes a noise in the hallway. I agree that we have a difference of opinion regarding the issue of blood, but if you scream one more time, I will personally see to it that you burn down with his entire hellhole. Do I make myself clear, Mrs. Black?" He still had a smile on his face and his voice was calm and steady, but the threat in it was obviously present.

"As you wish, my lord." She bowed and the curtains automatically closed around her portrait.

He turned around and saw Remus and Tonks staring at him in amazement.

"I think, Tonks," he said, "that now, you can stumble in peace, as much as you want."

Tonks just glared at him, while Remus unsuccessfully tried to stifle his amusement by pressing his mouth in his hands. That was all Harry could take before he collapsed on the floor, rolling in laughter. Eventually, she gave a small smile, taking in the funny situation.

"Good show there, Harry. I didn't know you had it in you." Remus said after he managed to compose himself.

"I didn't know it myself. It was a sudden inspiration that I decided to go all Dumbledore on her. It just amazed me how he could pleasantly talk his way into dominance. People don't know how to react when you appear so calm and collected."

"Yes, I must agree with you." Remus replied and then turned his attention back to Tonks. "Tonks, are you alright?" His voice was filled with concern.

Tonks, who was still shooting occasional glares in his direction, was distracted by his question.

"Yes, Remus, I am fine. No, really I am. Harry, here, helped very much." She replied, glaring at him, but then smiled again.

Remus gave Harry another heartfelt smile. The next hour was spent giving out explanations. Remus informed that the battle had been very bad and many people had died before help had arrived. He had received only a small slash on his arm and a hit on the head. That was what the bandages were for. He couldn't come immediately because; the hit on his head was caused by flying stone debris which left him unconscious till today morning. Other than that, he was perfectly fine.

When Harry asked about the Order meeting that was supposed to take place and what it was about, Remus said that it would be rescheduled to take place as soon as possible. As for what it was about, the Order members wanted information on what he and Dumbledore were doing on that night. Harry had to once again decline to elucidate the essentials of his activities with Dumbledore stating that they were confidential and if the Headmaster himself had not informed the others, he saw no reason to do so himself. Remus seemed to agree with his opinion.

Harry and Tonks also gave Remus an edited version of their activities, how Harry had managed to stumble across her, give her potions obtained from Madam Pomfrey with the help of Dobby and had managed to comfort her. He had conveniently left out the part where they had enjoyed a passionate snogging session and was glad that she did not mention it either. He did not think it would be wise to inform a friend of his parents with the details of his sexual activities, as his partner in these was the woman he was dating for the last few weeks.

They enjoyed a splendid lunch, again courtesy of Dobby, and generally enjoyed their time. After lunch they spent another hour talking with each other. They said there goodbyes as Harry and Remus both received hugs from Tonks. She was going to spend the next few weeks with her parents and would come and visit him if possible. She disapparated with a soft pop followed by Remus and Harry who apparated in a side-along manner directly to Harry's bedroom. Remus also promised to visit him whenever he could and bid him goodbye.

The time up to the penultimate week before his birthday was filled with almost daily visits from Tonks and some from Remus. They both had announced that their relationship was now over, as it had never even started at all. Both of them seemed comfortable with this and there were no hard feelings. While Remus would keep him informed of the current happenings in the world, Tonks' visits were spent chatting and having a pleasant time. Harry still remembered the centaur's Doomsday premonition which incidentally was also his birthday, but he knew he shouldn't worry too much about it. He just had to face whatever fate managed to throw at him.

It was on the twenty fifth of July, exactly a week before his birthday, that Harry received another couple of surprises. The day had begun bright enough and Tonks had arrived to keep him company. They talked for almost an hour, laughing, joking and teasing each other. Then all of a sudden, Tonks had become serious and asked him a question.

"Harry, do you like me?"

"Huh? Yes, why do you ask?"

"I mean, do you like, like me? Do you think we could have a relationship?"

Harry had been taken aback by the seriousness in her voice. He didn't know how to reply without offending her. On one hand, he did really like her, but on the other, he didn't know if he would be able to survive a day beyond his birthday.

"I'm sorry, Tonks, but we cannot be in a relationship." He hoped he wasn't ruining their friendship.

When he looked back at her, he saw the feeling of hurt as tears welled up in her eyes. He also saw that she seemed to have expected this.

"Is it because I'm a metamorphmagus?" She asked.

"What's that got to do with this?" He could not understand why he would reject her just because she was a metamorphmagus.

She smiled sadly.

"You don't know? Metamorphmagus' are generally looked down upon by everyone. People consider us as toys for seeking their own pleasures. Most people would spend their time with us only because we have the ability to alter our appearance. People see us as ways to fulfill their fantasies. No one considers having a serious relationship with a metamorphmagus." She finished sadly.

Harry sat beside her and pulled her in a hug. He decided that she needed to know the real reason why he was declining to be with her.

"Tonks, I didn't know that and I'm sorry to hear it. But there's a different reason why I can't be with you. The reason is that I don't know for sure if I would even survive beyond my seventeenth birthday."

Tonks had a horrified expression on her face.

"Why do you say that, Harry?"

"Do you remember the prophecy, the one you people were guarding? That one says that I have to face Voldemort, as I am the only one who can send him packing. And I know for a fact that I would have to fight him on my birthday."

She had then tried to persuade him to run away and hide, which he had straightaway refused. He had learnt long back that if something was meant to happen, it would happen anyway and there was no point in trying to run from the inevitable. She had been so angry with his response that she had left him almost immediately, but with a promise to take him away and hide him, forcefully if need be and even if she had to break all wizarding laws to do so.

The second surprise had come later the same evening. He and his family had just finished having dinner and he was helping his aunt clean the plates. The doorbell rang and his uncle went to open the door. Harry followed his uncle as he half expected Tonks or someone he knew would come to try and change his mind. The door opened two reveal two grim-faced men in formal muggle suits.

"Mr. Dursley, I presume?" One of them enquired.

"Yes. How can I help you gentlemen?"

"We need to speak with Harry Potter."

His uncle immediately backed away, recognizing that they were wizards and Harry now stood in front of them.

"I am Harry Potter. What can I do for you?" He asked.

"Good evening, I am Head Auror Gawain Robards and this is Auror David Williamson."

Harry nodded politely to both of them.

"Harry Potter, by order of the Minister of Magic, you are hereby under arrest for the murder of one, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and falsely accusing Potions Master Severus Snape and a student Draco Malfoy of the said crime. You are requested to submit your wand and accompany us to the detention centre, where you will be held till your trial. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can, and will be used against you."

**Author's Notes:**

Next Chapter – Political troubles.

Please Read and Review.

BETA needed.


	4. Coming of Age

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Not my disclaimer either. In simple words, YOU CAN'T SUE ME.

**Spoilers:** PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, QTTA, FB.

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance.

**Rating:** M – For MATURE language and themes.

**Author's Notes:**

1. I cannot thank everyone by name, but heartfelt thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story.

2. Wow! 17 Reviews, I am overwhelmed.

3. Short reviews like 'Great story' or 'I love it' or 'Story sucks' are welcome, but telling me what exactly you loved and what you hated will be more appreciated.

4. Remember your reviews act as fuel for me writing the story.

5. Answers to questions can be found at the end of the chapter.

_**Chapter 3 – Coming of Age**_

"_Harry Potter, by order of the Minister of Magic, you are hereby under arrest for the murder of one, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and falsely accusing Potions Master Severus Snape and a student Draco Malfoy of the said crime. You are requested to submit your wand and accompany us to the detention centre, where you will be held till your trial. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can, and will be used against you."_

Harry had to marvel at the stupidity of the wizarding people, especially the Minister of Magic. He wanted to ask Luna if there was some curse that affected the mental state of the Ministers, like the one put by Voldemort on the 'Defence Against the Dark Arts' position. Each new minister appears worse than the previous one. Somehow, once they become Minister of Magic, all they can think of doing is to increase and abuse their power, instead of anything to help the wizarding populace. He looked over his shoulders to see his relatives startled at the sudden revelation. He smiled reassuringly at them. _If only someone could reassure me…_

Truth be told, he had in fact expected something like this to happen, not being arrested, of course, some sort of plan to control him, but something less unpleasant. He wondered if he should be afraid about the trial. There was no Dumbledore to save him this time around. But he figured that since he had in fact not done anything wrong, he had nothing to fear.

"Would it help me, if I say, I am innocent? No, thought not. Can you prove that you really are aurors and not some Death Eaters in disguise?" Harry asked.

"We do not need to prove anything, Mr. Potter." The man replied, condescendingly.

"I agree that you don't have to, but then you will have to explain to your bosses why you returned without arresting me."

"You think you can escape from two fully trained aurors, do you?"

"Well, I don't know, let's see, shall we? Who have I managed to escape from till now? Hmm… there's the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters of course, but you two are better than them, aren't you? I am almost sure I cannot escape."

The two aurors immediately had their wands pointed at him. Harry was very impressed with the quick draw and smiled.

"We have our auror badges, if that would convince you." Robards said and showed him his badge as Williamson did the same. Harry saw that gleaming golden badge imprinted with the Ministry of Magic seal and the words 'Head Auror' and 'Auror' respectively superimposed on it.

"Well, I'm not aware about those. I haven't seen them before, so can't say that I am convinced. They can be forged, can't they?"

"Yes, they can be, but it's very difficult." He admitted reluctantly. "We have the Official Ministry letter." He produced a scroll from his suit's inner pocket.

"The Ministry is corrupt. Death Eaters are everywhere. I can't trust a living person, much less a piece of parchment."

"Where did you get to learn all this paranoia, Mr. Potter? Tell us how we can prove to you that we really are aurors." The Head Auror said in a desperate tone.

"The paranoia comes from Moody. Are you willing to show me your forearms?" Harry asked. He decided that if he couldn't make sure that they indeed were aurors, he would at least make sure that they weren't Death Eaters.

Both the wizards nodded and rolled up their sleeves to show their bare forearms. Harry was now sure that they weren't Death Eaters. He also observed that only the Head Auror was talking. The other one, Williamson, kept to himself.

"Moody taught you all this?" Robards asked.

"Well, he didn't teach me, per se, just kept on barking about CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

"Yes, he does that, doesn't he?"

"If you can give me five minutes, I would like to pack my stuff."

"You are not allowed to take anything with you, Mr. Potter."

"Oh! I figured that. I just want to pack everything in my trunk instead of letting it remain spread all over my room."

"Very well, but we must accompany you to ensure that you do not escape. Also, if you can hand over your wand, please."

"I thought the Ministry does not have the right to confiscate wands until charges have been proved successfully." Harry said, remembering what Dumbledore had mentioned during his trial.

The two aurors looked startled and fingered their wands restlessly.

"But," Harry continued, "I am willing to submit it to you if you can guarantee my safety as well as that of my wand."

Both of them nodded, and Harry submitted his wand to them, which was immediately put into a long rectangular red box. The box glowed blue for a second as it was magically sealed.

"There you go. Only I and Williamson can open this now. You can access your wand if you need it and in case we deem it necessary. In case of an emergency, just hold out your hand and your wand will come to you."

Harry nodded and went up the stairs to his room, followed closely by the two aurors. He saw that Hedwig, who had earlier gone hunting, had not returned and wouldn't do so till the early morning. As a result, he did not have any means of contacting his friends. He didn't have much to pack, just some books and clothes, which he threw haphazardly inside his trunk. He was finished five minutes later and pushed his trunk to one side of the room. Just as he turned to face his companions, Williamson stepped forward and spoke for the first time.

"Mr. Potter, I was wondering if you would sign an autograph for my daughter. Her name is Angela, and she is six years old and adores you very much. It would please her very much if you can do so?"

His sounded like a typical father, caring for his beloved daughter's whims. Harry didn't like signing autographs, much less while he was being arrested on charges of murder.

"You want to sign me an autograph for your daughter when you are less than a minute away from putting be behind bars?" He asked, incredulously. "What impression would that make on your daughter?"

"You have always fought for what is right, Mr. Potter. I do not, for a moment, believe that the charges against you to be true. But as an auror, it is our duty to do what we are ordered to do. We do not have a choice." His voice sounded regretful.

"Tell you what, I won't sign an autograph but you can tell your daughter that you have met me. Tell her the truth, not the garbage the Daily Prophet prints about me. Teach her to be brave and to stand for what she believes in, to overcome her fears. And most of all convince her that she has the ability to do all this. You should have faith in her. If you believe in her, she would believe in herself."

"You are wise beyond your years, Mr. Potter. I will do as you request." He finished in a grateful voice and gave a small smile.

Robards, who till now had an impassive look on his face, produced a black disc about the size of a muggle CD and a gold and silver bracelet from his inner pocket and held it between the three of them. Harry thought the man was doing a perfect job of being as emotionless as a rock.

"Please extend your right hand." He said.

When Harry did so, he put the bracelet around his wrist which tightened to fit securely. He waved his wand around the new bracelet in a complex manner and it glowed red for a couple of seconds.

"Tracking Charm and Anti-apparition jinx." He said indicating the bracelet. "Please place a finger on this disc. It is a portkey which will take us directly to the detention centre, where you shall be held until your trial which is scheduled to start the day after tomorrow at ten o'clock. Your presence will be required in the courtroom at the same time." He then turned towards Williamson. "Please inform Mr. Potter's relatives regarding our departure and follow us directly. I shall inform John to make the code Alpha Green for your return."

Williamson nodded and went downstairs to meet the Dursleys. Robards looked up expectantly at Harry, who sighed and placed a finger on the disc. Robards then tapped the portkey with his wand and Harry once again felt the now familiar pull behind his navel. He felt his vision swim and a few moments later arrived with Robards in a closed room. His landing, as usual, was off balance and he stumbled to the floor. He scrambled back to his feet and began to take a look at his surroundings.

The room was plain and entirely comprising of cold black stone. To his utter astonishment, there was no door. Harry wondered if he would die of asphyxiation if Robards decide to leave him here without his wand. To one wall, there was a telephone attached, similar to the one he had seen in the telephone booth that was in fact a lift to take you in the underground Ministry. Robards immediately headed towards the telephone while Harry followed behind him.

Without picking up the receiver, the Head Auror began dialling a complex series of numbers. He dialled around fifteen of them and stood aside waiting. A voice now reverberated in the closed room similar to the one Harry had heard in the telephone booth.

"Welcome to the Criminal Detention Centre, Head Auror Robards. Your prisoner code is Omega Thirteen Red. I repeat. Your prisoner code is Omega Thirteen Red. Have a pleasant evening."

Harry looked at the auror and saw surprise clearly evident on his face. He did not understand what those codes meant, he figured it to be something that auror used to indicate certain things, and without letting others infer its real meaning. But seeing even the Head Auror surprised clearly meant that something was not what it was meant to be.

Then, as if everything was as it was meant to be, Robards stepped back. Suddenly, the wall adjacent to the telephone shimmered and a door appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. It opened and Harry saw that it was a lift, nothing fancy, an ordinary one with metallic doors and no buttons. Robards indicated Harry to enter and followed after him. When they both were inside, the doors closed with a clang and the lift began to move. Oddly enough, Harry observed, the lift did not move in a vertical direction but rather horizontally.

After almost a minute, the lift stopped moving and the doors opened with another metallic clang. Harry stepped outside, again followed by Robards, to see that they were in another small room. There was a desk to one side, where a man was seating, reading a newspaper. One of the adjacent walls had a filing cabinet and a door besides it while the other one was plain. The man looked up as, Harry and Robards approached him. He was a middle-aged man with a moustache, scruffy beard and an almost bald head.

"Ah, Gawain, my old friend, welcome, welcome. Another arrest in muggle areas, is it?" He asked in a gruff voice. "What have we got here? A bit young, ain't he?"

He peered closely at Harry and his eyes widened in shock as recognition flashed in his eyes. Harry desperately tried to flatten his hair on his forehead.

"Blimey! Is it… it is, isn't it? Merlin! I don't believe it. What's the world coming to?"

"You better believe it, John. I have code Omega Thirteen Red."

The man's eyes widened once again and he opened his mouth to say something but could only gape like a fish for a few seconds.

"_Omega Thirteen_… You sure it's thirteen? Crikey! They have _'thirteen'_ for… for him? For crying out loud, that's Harry Potter."

Robards only nodded. Harry could not understand what all the fuss was regarding the number thirteen. He knew muggles considered the number very unlucky but didn't think wizards would be so foolish to think similarly. Then again, these days nothing was as straightforward as it appeared. Also, when it came to him, when were things ever normal to be so now? He just shook his head ruefully. He wanted to get it over with.

"It isn't our place to say anything, John. Take this." He handed him the box containing Harry's wand. "Also, make sure that David gets the code Alpha Green. I don't want him complaining once again that I forgot to let him in."

John and Robards both laughed while John took the box and carried it to the side wall. He stood watching the bricks for a couple of seconds then went ahead and tapped one in the centre. The brick darted outwards like a drawer into which he carefully placed the wand box.

"Okay, then. Here's your Omega Thirteen." He said when he returned and handed him a small galleon sized disc from his drawer which had the Greek letter 'Omega' imprinted on it below which was the number '13'. Robards took the disc, nodded his head to John and turned towards the door.

"Follow me, Mr. Potter." Robards said.

Once they reached the door, Harry saw that the door had a slit, similar to the one in a public telephone, in which Robards inserted the disc that John had given him. The door, Harry observed, was the entrance to another lift, which again had no buttons. When both of them stepped inside, Harry had a feeling of _déjà-vu_ as he experienced the same travelling method as before.

The lift stopped fairly shortly this time. When the doors opened, Harry saw they had arrived in a small corridor containing about ten barred prison cells. He counted ten aurors clad in their scarlet ensemble standing wand out to greet them. When Robards exited the lift, their posture relaxed a bit but Harry could see that they were still very alert. Two of them approached them and waved their wand over Harry in a few complicated manners. Satisfied with their findings, they moved back to stand among the others.

Robards then proceeded to the first cell and opened its door indicating Harry to enter. Harry stepped inside and saw it was very similar to his bedroom at the Dursleys. It had a bed, a pitcher of water, an enchanted window and a small bathroom. The walls were made of black stone and were, in his opinion, very boring. _Ah, not bad… could have been much worse._ Harry thought. He was glad he wasn't sent to Azkaban without trial, like Sirius. _That would have been a tad uncomfortable._

He gave a laugh at his joke that drew a curious glance from Robards. Harry shrugged apologetically and plopped down on the bed. With another glance, Robards closed the door and moved his wand over the bars which were then covered with a reddish shield. Harry figured it was probably to prevent him from escaping. He checked his watch. It was a little over eight o'clock. He had to spend about thirty eight hours in here.

He lay down on the bed and began thinking about his life in general – his relatives, Hogwarts, his friends. He realised that his life had not been a bed of roses, but it wasn't entirely bad either. Except for the minor problems like a homicidal Dark Lord and his minions, even Malfoy and Snape, his life had been pretty good. And whether or not he was in danger, it certainly was thrilling, and to a certain amount, enjoyable.

He also wondered what would be the outcome of his confrontation with Voldemort. It certainly was not easy, hell, it was almost impossible to win. He did not have experience on his side, and so, was in desperate need of a strategy. He thought about his archenemy's weaknesses. Apart from his flair for the dramatics, Voldemort was a very powerful and seasoned dueller. Magic was like second nature to him. If he truly feared someone, it was Dumbledore. Harry realised it was due to Dumbledore's calm nature and cool use of logic. Dumbledore was never the one for flashy displays of magic. His use of magic was very controlled, in amount as well as timing, and that made him a dangerous and worthy opponent.

Harry decided to go Dumbledore once again. It had worked with Mrs. Black, it could work again. But this, he reckoned, was extremely difficult. For one, he did not have the patience that often Dumbledore displayed. His temper flared as quickly as if someone had fired an _Incendio_ at it. He was an extremely emotional person. He needed to control his emotions. He decided to spend the time he had trying to remember everything he could about how Dumbledore managed situations and turned them in his favour. If he was going to be an adult, might as well start behaving like one.

He realised how true the old man's words had been when he had said he would only truly have left when no one was loyal to him. Even if he was dead, he would always be remembered by people for everything he had done for the wizarding public. Harry gave another laugh when he remembered the time when he had said this to Scrimgeour, which turned into a rueful smile. That bastard was taking revenge on him by putting him here. He needed to be dealt with, Harry thought. Harry knew that if the trial went in his favour, it would really make Scrimgeour look more idiotic than Fudge. Harry smiled once again and continued thinking about Dumbledore and different ways in which he could annoy the hell out of the esteemed Minister of Magic.

The aurors outside his cell often patrolled the corridor to check everything was alright. Harry saw Williamson was one of them and gave him a smile which he returned. Since Harry was the only prisoner here, they weren't that busy but were alert all the same. From their posture and movements, Harry concluded that they were few of the best. He still did not understand the mystery behind the code that he had been tagged with and decided to ask someone when he could.

The night and the next day passed without any incident. Harry spent most of the time contemplating about his strategy and thinking ways in which he could control his temper. He knew Scrimgeour and the Wizengamot would definitely try to make him lose his composure and Harry certainly didn't want that to happen. If they wanted to make him angry, he would take every possible measure to make sure he didn't, as well as using the same tactics on them.

Williamson also answered his questions as best as he could without giving away anything crucial. He informed that this detention centre was a recent construction built on the orders of the Minister of Magic. Since Azkaban had been compromised, this was used to hold prisoners temporarily till they had their trials after which they would be transferred somewhere more secure. He refused to elaborate what or where it was that was more secure.

The 'thirteen' that Harry had been tagged with was a code for distinguishing prisoners according to the level of risk they held. There were actually thirteen levels of security from level zero to twelve. Level zero corresponded to minimum security while twelve was the maximum. And then there was level thirteen, which was the most secure level. Very few people even knew of the existence of level thirteen. Everything concerning it was on a need-to-know basis. Another thing was that Harry was the first person to be imprisoned here. Harry did not know if he should feel special or affronted.

The day of his trial dawned and he was taken to the Ministry of Magic accompanied by four of the aurors guarding him. The group arrived by another portkey at about half past nine in a small room. When they exited the room, Harry saw that it was the auror headquarters in the Ministry of Magic and the door they had just come through had vanished. They led his through the same path as during his first visit finally arriving in the corridor leading to Courtroom Ten. _Yes,_ he thought, _history does indeed repeat itself._

Outside the courtroom, Harry saw many people waiting. The Weasleys, except Bill, Charlie and Percy were present along with Hermione, Remus, Tonks, McGonagall and Moody. His heart leapt with joy on seeing the familiar faces. He saw the tension across everyone's face and felt a sudden bout of rage towards Scrimgeour. He would have to deal with the man later, but right now he had to assure his friends. He saw all the females had red and puffy eyes, definitely due to crying too much. The males were had a much better control over themselves but their eyes told the state of their agonised hearts.

After being tackled by Ginny, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley and having a really hard time to breathe due to the intensity of their hugs, and even a small hug from McGonagall, he exchanged greetings with the male members of the group. He saw that Remus was the most affected by all this and knew that he must be thinking about Sirius. He also saw that Fred and George looked sombre, yet still manage to crack jokes about wiping the courtroom floor with the Minister's ass. He heard a couple of snorts and looked around to see two of the aurors hastily covering their mouths at the twin's antics.

He saw that that Tonks, who had stayed away from the main group, was still distant and continued to fiddle with her fingers. When she didn't approach him, he made his way towards her and laid a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. Then suddenly, as if a dam had broken, hot tears started to fall down her cheeks and she threw herself in his arms. Once again, he held her close to him as he tried to calm her.

"Tonks... listen to me, everything is going to be fine. This trial is a farce, nothing else. We already know what the outcome is going to be. They have nothing against me and if they try to do anything underhand, I'll make him suffer."

"Harry, you don't know how Rufus is. He is an utter bastard. If things don't go his way, he bends the rules to suit his wishes. He won't let you get away. If he is having a trial, he certainly has something up his sleeve. No one even knew you were on trial. When I went to your relatives place yesterday, they informed me of what had happened. I immediately informed Remus and rushed to the Ministry to make things clear. No one had any idea. Everyone thought I had gone mad. It was only when I confronted Robards that he told me. Everything is on a need-to-know basis. We wouldn't even have known if I had not kept visiting you this summer. Rufus is making sure that you do not gain any support." She answered a tearful voice.

"It's alright, Tonks. Have faith in me. I'll make sure he gets his due."

He kept talking to her in soft tones, calming her for some time. He noticed the curious glance from all the ladies and just shrugged in return. It was almost five minutes to ten, when he was led inside by two aurors while two remained outside guarding the doors. He was ordered to sit on the chair he had occupied once previously. Everything was as he remembered it to be. The only exceptions were the different Ministers and the absence of Dumbledore. He was now at the mercy of the Wizengamot.

"The accused being present, let the proceedings commence." Scrimgeour's voice rang out. "Preliminary hearing on the twenty seventh of July into offences committed by Harry James Potter, resident at Number Four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. Interrogators: Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister for Magic; Jason …"

Harry zoned out on the rest of the names and instead, sat watching the Wizengamot members, who were staring back at him. He was a little annoyed to see Dolores Umbridge sitting among them and he had a little internal struggle to maintain his composure. She gave him another of her sickening smile when his eyes met hers and Harry returned a pleasant one of his own along with a nod of his head. He was pleased to see her eyes narrowing immediately. _Go Potter Go!_

He somehow became aware that the court had suddenly become very silent due to the sound of the doors opening and all the members were staring at the new arrival in amazement. Harry tilted his head sideways and again had a feeling of _déjà-vu_. There striding across the room wearing dark purple robes and a calm expression was Dumbledore, or rather someone who looked extremely like him. His hair and beard were long and silvery and wore round glasses much like Harry's. His face structure was much different than that of the Headmaster and his nose was perfect. Harry was certain the man was somehow related to Dumbledore.

"Witness for the defence, Aberforth Hermes Elfric Arthur Dumbledore," he spoke in calm but firm voice and gave Harry a reassuring smile. He approached Harry and much like his brother, for that was what Harry figured him to be, flicked his wand to conjure a chair out of thin air besides Harry's shackled one. Only in this case, he did it literally as the chair appeared to be made of air. Instead of a normal chair, the air swivelled and took the form of a squashy armchair with a misty look. He sat in it perfectly still, waiting for the mutterings to cease. To say Harry, and everyone, was impressed was a complete understatement. _This guy definitely knows how to make an impression,_ Harry thought

"Aberforth, what is the meaning of this? This is a closed trial and is not open to people that have no reason or approval to partake in it." The minister all but shouted making Harry glad his plan was working perfectly due to the arrival of Aberforth Dumbledore.

"Ah, pardon me, Rufus. I was under the impression that Albus, being my brother, gives me enough reason to participate since it's his murder that is currently under investigation and his murderer under trial." He said pleasantly making Scrimgeour glare at him.

"Yes, and I know for a fact that you were banned from stepping into the Ministry of Magic unless you personally were on trial." Scrimgeour gave a victorious smirk.

"Yes, I was indeed banned by my brother. But I am sure you would recall that his exact words were 'as long as I am alive, you are forbidden to' et al. Since he is now dead, I must say I am no longer forbidden an entry here." He said cheerfully, making Scrimgeour glare and Harry smirk in return.

"Very well," Scrimgeour said unpleasantly. "The charges against the accused are as follows:" He read out from a parchment in his hand. "That he did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, murdered the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore, which constitutes an offence under Paragraph A of the Decree for the Reasonable Right of Wizarding Existence, 965, and also falsely accusing Potions Master Severus Snape and a fellow student Draco Malfoy of the said crime, which constitutes an offence under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction Against Calumny, 1115."

"How do you plead?" He asked, glaring at Harry over the top of the parchment, to which Harry gave another pleasant smile. _I'm loving it,_ Harry thought.

"Not guilty." Harry replied.

"Very well, with regards to the first charge, do you have any witnesses which you can bring forth to prove that you were not guilty?"

"No."

"Then an alibi, perhaps."

"No."

"So, you mean to say you have neither any witness to prove that you did not commit the said crime, nor an alibi to prove your presence elsewhere?"

"Yes. I actually said Dumbledore – the Headmaster that is – was murdered in front of my eyes."

"And who is it that you accuse?"

"I think it was mentioned in the charges." Harry said mockingly.

"Don't give me your cheek, boy. Mention the names so that the Wizengamot can make a note."

"Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy."

"And there is no one besides you who witnessed the crime?"

"There are."

"But you just informed the court that you did not have any witnesses."

"Perhaps you misunderstood me. You asked me if I can bring forth the witnesses. The answer was no because the only witnesses were the Death Eaters, who I unfortunately cannot call to give testimony against Snape and Malfoy. There were three of them, except Snape and Malfoy. As you can perhaps tell, we are not on the best of terms to give evidence in my favour."

"You are bluffing, no doubt."

"I can give their names. They were recognised by Dumbledore. They were Amycus, Alecto and Fenrir Greyback, who you may recall is a werewolf."

Scrimgeour's eyes widened slightly but he did not make any statement against Harry's claim.

"Yes, but there is no evidence or residual magic to indicate their presence. So under the present circumstantial evidence, I have no choice but to convict you…"

Aberforth, besides Harry, cleared his throat stopping Scrimgeour in mid-sentence.

"I believe it is the responsibility of the Wizengamot, while charging someone with a crime, to have necessary evidence indicating that the crime was committed by the accused."

"We have evidence, Dumbledore. The boy stated that he was present when Albus Dumbledore was murdered."

"Yes, he did state that. But the Wizengamot should consider the fact that the evidence is still circumstantial and not concrete. Though it definitely proves the accused was present, it certainly does not prove him guilty. In fact, it's his evidence that should be considered while prosecuting the real offenders. The Wizengamot does not have evidence to pronounce him guilty, which it should bring forth itself, since the charges have been put forth by the law."

"I am very much aware of the responsibilities of the Wizengamot, Dumbledore." He said sharply and Harry understood he was losing his patience. Aberforth acquiesced with a nod.

"Then you must also be aware that if the Wizengamot fails to prove the charges, I am sure you will hear from Mr. Potter for offending him under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction Against Calumny."

Scrimgeour was almost foaming at the mouth at this statement and Harry was hard pressed to suppress a laugh. The man was making things difficult for himself.

"The Wizengamot is hereby ordering the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to collect evidence against Mr. Potter regarding charge number one. It has three days to do so. Now we shall move to other charges."

He glanced at a parchment he held in his hand and once again glared at Harry and Aberforth.

"Potter, you stated that you were present when the crime was committed?" The Minister asked slowly.

"Yes."

"You also stated that the crime was performed by Messrs. Snape and Malfoy."

"Well, Malfoy arranged it. Snape only performed the Killing Curse and then ran away with the others."

"And you did nothing to stop the crime from being performed?" He now had a triumphant smirk.

"I couldn't do anything as…"

"Then I am afraid we will have to add another charge to your list: that of aiding and abetting the murderers of Albus Dumbledore." Scrimgeour said, cutting Harry's statement.

"You do realise, Rufus," Aberforth stated, "that if you add this particular charge, then you will voluntarily contradict the first charge, thus making this hearing futile."

Scrimgeour visibly cursed his own mistake, but immediately gave back a reply.

"This hearing wouldn't be futile, Dumbledore. We still have the charge with regards to slandering Mr. Snape and Mr. Malfoy."

"Yes, but I doubt if any of the mentioned parties have filed this charge, which leads me to question the rationale behind this hearing. I, the last living relative of Albus Dumbledore, have not filed charges against Mr. Potter and neither have Messrs. Snape and Malfoy. Yet we find him on trial instead of being the principal witness."

"The Wizengamot can file charges against anyone to see that justice is served."

"And yet, justice is not served as innocent people are wrongly accused and imprisoned while the guilty are free to roam the lands."

"Enough of this drivel, Dumbledore. Potter, tell the court why you did not stop Messrs. Snape and Malfoy from murdering the Headmaster."

"When we arrived on the tower, Dumbledore realised that something was not right and we heard someone coming up the stairs. He ordered me to hide under the invisibility cloak and when Malfoy came up and disarmed him, he immobilised me at the same instant thus leaving me unable to do anything to save him."

"And why would Dumbledore need you to save him. He was a much accomplished dueller and could comfortably take on five Death Eaters on his own."

"He was very weak from our, er… journey and so was unable to duel."

"And what journey was it, Potter?"

"I cannot tell you where we went or what business we attended to."

"I see. Potter, the Wizengamot is ordering you to inform it of your visit. If you do not comply, we will be forced to administer Veritaserum and extract the information from you forcefully."

"I am afraid, Rufus, that under the Wizengamot Charter of Rights, that Veritaserum cannot be administered if the accused is underage."

"The Wizengamot can do so if it deems necessary information is withheld with regards to a crime." Scrimgeour said angrily.

"Then I must say that the information that you seek, regarding Mr. Potter's outing with Albus Dumbledore has no relation whatsoever with the act of Calumny against Messrs. Snape and Malfoy."

Harry once again watched the Minister curse violently and was real glad that Aberforth was present by his side. He didn't think he could have accomplished half the things the old man had made possible.

"What happened after Mr. Malfoy arrived?" Scrimgeour asked Harry.

Harry related everything as he remembered finishing with Snape casting the Killing Curse.

"And again you have no evidence of this particular chain of events."

"No."

"Then this case is hereby adjourned till the thirty first of July, when the Wizengamot will hear evidence collected by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The accused is to stay in the detention centre till the day of the hearing." Scrimgeour announced.

One by one, all the members of the Wizengamot got to there feet and left the room leaving Harry with Aberforth and the two aurors who had escorted him inside. He turned towards Aberforth and saw him gazing unblinkingly at him. He wished he could thank the man enough for his support.

"Thank you, for everything." He said sincerely. "I am sorry I couldn't do anything to save Professor Dumbledore."

"You did what you could, Mr. Potter. It is me who must apologise for the troubles you are facing."

"Er… it's no problem. I had figured Scrimgeour would try to take revenge on me for not being his poster boy. I didn't expect I would be on trial as the accused though."

"Yes, it does happen many times that our destiny leads us wherever we must be, but our paths are not always foreseen."

Harry did not have time to ponder on this remark as the door opened once again and all his friends entered one by one, and so did the two aurors. The other aurors also approached him and informed that were supposed to leave for the detention centre. Harry asked them if he would be allowed to spend some time with his friends.

"Better yet," McGonagall interrupted. "I am sure it wouldn't be too much of a problem if you let Mr. Potter have lunch with us. You are more than welcome to join us. What do you say, Mr. Wilson?"

She stared at one of the aurors who shifted under her gaze, as though he was still at school and was caught doing something he shouldn't be doing. Harry hid a smile at this. Even though the man was out of school and an auror to boot, he still felt intimidated by her. _Well so does everyone._

"Er… Professor, we really aren't allowed to do this. We were ordered to bring him back after the hearing ended." He replied uncomfortably.

"I know what you were ordered, laddie." Moody said. "Doesn't say you have to immediately bring him, does it?"

"Well, no, not as such, but…"

"Then I am sure you will enjoy our company, that is, if you join us. And if it eases you, you can collect everyone's wand till they are here, to make you feel safe."

The four aurors looked at each other, shrugged and then collected wands from everyone. The only amusing things happened when Fred's, or was it George, wand turned in to a rubber chicken, and Moody just glared at one of the aurors, sending him running, for asking to submit his wand. When all wands had been collected, the aurors informed them that they would be waiting outside the room and to call them when they were finished. Aberforth conjured a misty table and air chairs for everyone, which Harry saw everyone was reluctant to sit in. Hermione tentatively tried to place her hand on the seat of one of them but her hand just went through it and she looked enquiringly at Aberforth.

"Well, they are not meant for your hands, you know." He said simply.

The twins just looked at each other, shrugged, and dropped unceremoniously into two of them. When they did not fall, everyone else took a chair, even Harry who did not want to sit in his shackled one. McGonagall then clapped her hands and food appeared on the table. She informed that she had arranged for this with the Hogwarts house elves.

Lunch was an enjoyable affair, even though it was held in a dreadful courtroom. Harry, with the help of Aberforth, informed everyone how the case had proceeded, making sure to highlight the events when Aberforth had managed to enrage Scrimgeour. When lunch was over, Aberforth drew the attention of everyone.

"Everyone, now to important matters." He began. "You should be aware that this trial is nothing but a farce. Scrimgeour cannot ever manage to convict Harry of any crime and even he knows this. What we must now find is the real reason behind this. Any ideas?"

"I remember back in the old days when such trials would be held. The Ministry knew that if they could not convict someone, they would falsely implicate him and extract money to keep everything under wraps. I feel this may be similar." Mr. Weasley said.

"Yes, Arthur, even I feel the same way. Scrimgeour needs money, for what we don't know. If this is how he is trying to get it. We must remain ahead of him." Aberforth replied and then turned towards Harry. "Harry, do you know how much money you own?"

"Er… I am not sure. I haven't been into my vault for some time now."

"Even if you would have visited your vault, Harry," Remus said, "it would have been your trust fund. Believe me when I say this that the Potters are a wealthy family. Add to that an equally superabundant Black fortune left by Sirius, you have quite a lot."

"You have a lot of money, lad." Moody said. "You have to make sure it doesn't fall in the wrong hands."

"So he wants my money?"

"Yes, but you cannot access it till you come of age. But the Ministry can drain you to fill its coffers." Aberforth said.

"What do I do then?"

"That is the question the answer to which we are hoping to find."

Everyone was silent for a few seconds while they contemplated a solution. Harry wondered if he could just give all his money to someone and then take it from them whenever he needed it. That way, he officially had nothing in his account but still own everything by proxy. He put this thought forward to know what everyone thought.

"Well, that could work, I suppose." Aberforth said. "But it is risky. What if this person afterwards declines to give you anything?"

Harry knew he could take this risk because he believed in all his friends. He informed everyone that he was going ahead with this. The other problem was that he would have to do this on his birthday, before the trial began. Tonks volunteered to arrange everything from Gringotts. Harry told her to make sure that they do it before his trial, even if he had to pay extra just to get it done.

He also asked his friends not to come on his birthday, promising to come visit them later. He did not want them to be present as he knew something was going to happen. They tried to fight him but reluctantly agreed. When Remus and Tonks insisted on coming anyhow, he had no choice but to agree.

Harry reluctantly bid goodbye to everyone and he was once again taken to the detention centre. During the next three days, Harry occasionally chatted with his guards about their experiences as an auror. In return, he told them stories of his adventures at Hogwarts. He asked them if they would take him early to the Ministry, to which they agreed.

When his birthday arrived, he was surprised to see all the aurors wish him a 'Happy Birthday'. They arrived at the auror headquarters at nine o'clock. Harry saw that only Tonks, Remus and Aberforth were present along with a surly looking goblin. He greeted his friends and introduced himself to the goblin.

"Mr. Potter, my name is Fangtooth. I was told you had something to discuss regarding your finances."

"Fangtooth, thanks for coming to meet me at such short notice and also in this odd place. Regarding the issue of my finances, I have been told I own a lot of money which I want to give away. As you can no doubt guess, time is of the essence."

"Very well, Mr. Potter, and no problem regarding the meeting arrangement. Tell me how much and to whom you want to give away your monies."

"First of all, I want you to make a list of everything I own, properties, monies, etc. Then divide everything into two parts, equally if possible, if not then that's not a problem. A Galleon here or there won't matter. Put them into the vaults of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. Also make sure that Kreacher ends up with Remus using whatever method Sirius Black applied so that he became my elf."

Harry saw Tonks glaring at him and gave her a cheeky smile.

"Just make sure you empty my vaults of everything except one Galleon, one Sickle and one Knut. Also I want this transfer completed by ten o'clock today, if possible." He figured that he could donate that much, to add insult to injury of course.

"Mr. Potter, you do realise that this is a huge task to accomplish in such short time."

"That's why I'm making sure that you get the compensation for your services in terms of gold."

Fangtooth gave a toothy grin, at least Harry thought it was a grin, and said, "You know how to do business, Mr. Potter. For five hundred Galleons, the task shall be accomplished before ten o'clock."

Harry nodded his approval and shook hands with the goblin, who immediately hurried away to get the job done. Remus and Tonks decided to wait in the cafeteria and Aberforth agreed to take him there after the trial.

At ten o'clock precisely, Harry and Aberforth were escorted into the courtroom. Harry saw that all members of the Wizengamot were already present. The proceedings began after about fifteen minutes as the Wizengamot members continued discussing among themselves. Then Scrimgeour opened a parchment and began to read from it.

"Concerning the charge regarding the murder of Albus Dumbledore, the Wizengamot finds the accused not guilty due to absence of evidence."

Harry smiled. _That was bound to happen,_ he thought. But his smile faded as his scar burned badly. It meant only one thing. _Voldemort was coming._

"Concerning the charge regarding the calumny against Messrs. Snape and Malfoy, the Wizengamot finds the accused guilty. The accused has no proofs to confirm his claim and so is termed guilty."

Harry wanted to glare at him, but his scar twitched again.

"The accused is hereby also charged with concealing vital information from the Ministry with regards to the ongoing war. Due to the unwillingness of the accused to provide said information, he is found guilty of the charge under the Decree for the Administrative Right to Sequester Estates, 1997, and is hereby ordered to provide the information or to lose possession of all his assets."

Harry realised that this decree had been passed in the last three days. His scar burned so violently that he gave out an audible gasp. Every Wizengamot member began to stare at him but he did not care. When he relaxed slightly, Scrimgeour continued once again.

"Harry Potter, I ask you once again. Are you willing to provide information regarding your excursion with Albus Dumbledore?"

"No, I won't." Harry gasped once again as his scar started throbbing painfully.

"Then, the Wizengamot has no choice but to confiscate all your assets. Jennings," he said to a man sitting on the front bench. "Inform the Wizengamot and Mr. Potter about his net assets that are to be transferred into the Ministry treasury."

The man named Jennings, drew out a parchment from the pile in front of him and muttered something. He gasped at whatever he saw on the parchment and seemed reluctant to answer.

"What is the matter Jennings? Do you not have the Assets list provided by Gringotts? State whatever you see on the list."

"Er… Mr. Potter's assets, as on the 31st of July, 1997 are, one Galleon, one Sickle and one Knut." He said in a trembling voice.

"What? What is the meaning of this Potter?" Scrimgeour screamed and his face was white with rage. "Jennings, are you sure that is correct. Contact Gringotts immediately to get a clarification. I want…"

But Harry could not learn whatever Scrimgeour wanted as the doors of the courtroom opened and his scar gave a massive jolt. A memo had flown inside and was now bobbing in front of Harry. Harry saw that Aberforth already had his wand drawn and aimed at it. Then it suddenly began to smoke and a high, cold voice reverberated across the room, a voice Harry knew all to well.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY POTTER. COME OUTSIDE AND JOIN THE CELEBRATIONS. I HAVE BROUGHT YOU A PRESENT."

**Author's Notes:**

1. I apologise for the errors, but I still need a BETA.

2. Harry is arrested because Scrimgeour wants to control him.

3. Please don't hate me for the cliffhangers.

Please Read and Review.


	5. A Duel to the Death

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Not my disclaimer either. In simple words, YOU CAN'T SUE ME.

**Spoilers:** PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, QTTA, FB.

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance.

**Rating:** M – For MATURE language and themes.

**Author's Rant:** Important – Please read.

1. **The Beginning of the End** – Status is ABANDONED. This story was my bother's effort and was discontinued after his death. If you have read it, you know that our writing styles are much different. I don't know if I can do it justice. Maybe in the future, I may continue it or even rewrite it, but no promises. Let me know what you think.

2. **HONKS fans** – I urge you to be patient. The romance won't pick up until a couple more chapters at least. I know how you people feel. IMHO, Ginny and Hermione don't deserve Harry and Tonks can do way better than Remus, though he isn't a bad guy. But a bubbling character like our favourite metamorphmagus certainly deserves someone better. After all, HONKS rules!

3. **About NGA** – I am trying very hard to make NGA different from other factory made HONKS stories wherein Tonks stays with Harry, trains him and they end up jumping in bed with each other. No offence to other such stories, they are always a good read if they have a good plot, but have now become cliché. I am trying hard to go off the beaten path. I want them to really come close to each other, which I am afraid to say, won't be easy at all and will take time. This effort is inspired by **Changing Faces** by **eQuasarus**. Great story with hugely original plot – highly recommended. It's a shame it's on hiatus.

4. **Plot of NGA** – The plot is what I feel makes NGA different from others. You will come to know soon enough how the twists and turns that I have arranged take place. All I ask for is your support in the form of reviews. Make sure to tell me what you feel you like or you hate about the plotline.

5. **Reviews** – Again, heartfelt thanks to everyone who has reviewed. You can't imagine how much it pleases me to see NGA reviewed by people who have written great stories themselves. I have said it before, I'll say it again. I write for readers, common folk like me and you. Your encouragement is all that I get and all that I require. Please Read and Review. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

6. **Deathly Hallows** – You won't believe me when I say I haven't read this one even after standing in the line at midnight to get my hands on the book. Something just keeps me from starting it. It's a feeling, like a sixth sense, that if I do read it, it will turn me off the HP universe and hence continuing with my story. All I ask for is to not let out any DH spoilers in the reviews.

7. **Future Scope** – NGA is now officially AU. I am currently revising a major future plot issue in this story. I can get Fleur to jump on the bandwagon along with Tonks but I am not sure if I can pull it off or even if I should do it. Let me know if you people think I should do a Harry – Tonks – Fleur threesome or just HONKS.

Thanks for reading the rant – Levi.

_**Chapter 4 – A Duel to the Death**_

_A memo had flown inside and was now bobbing in front of Harry. Harry saw that Aberforth already had his wand drawn and aimed at it. Then it suddenly began to smoke and a high, cold voice reverberated across the room, a voice Harry knew all to well._

"_HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY POTTER. COME OUTSIDE AND JOIN THE CELEBRATIONS. I HAVE BROUGHT YOU A PRESENT."_

Harry cursed his luck. With the way his farce of a trial had progressed, he had almost forgotten about his _date with destiny_. He looked around to see that the Wizengamot members and looks of shock and panic etched across their faces. The aurors had gone immediately changed to alert status and so had Aberforth. Harry was angered to see that Scrimgeour, even though was an auror before becoming Minister of Magic, did not seem eager to join the aurors in the confrontation. His mind came back to the situation at hand and cursed again. _Never a dull day in your life Potter_, he thought.

"I am sorry to leave this farce of a trial, Minister," Harry said as he got up from his shackled chair, "but I believe there is a Dark Lord waiting outside to celebrate my birthday. You are of course welcome to take that Galleon, Sickle and Knut and shove it up your ass." _I always wanted to say that_, he said internally.

With that he began to walk out of the heavy doors followed immediately by Aberforth and his auror escorts.

"Stop, Potter, you cannot leave. This is a Wizengamot trial. Aurors, arrest that boy…"

Scrimgeour continued to rant but his voice was diminished by the level of commotion that was going on in the Ministry building. Harry was glad that the aurors weren't trying to arrest him but instead were accompanying him. He saw that Ministry employees were running like headless chickens due to widespread fear as several aurors were desperately trying to make sure everyone was alright and making portkeys for their departure.

"Harry, where are you going?" Aberforth asked besides him.

"To join the celebrations of course, didn't you hear?" He replied with a smile, while cutting his way through the traffic.

"Do you think it is wise of you to face him? Do you think you can subdue him in a duel?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, by all accounts, no I can't. But I am the only one who can face him. And now that Dumbledore is dead, I don't have a choice. So I have to try and stop him or at least try to hold him till everyone manages to evacuate the premises." _If I guess correctly, he will have hostages,_ he added internally._ Always the innocents are the first victims. So it has been for ages past, so it is now._

"I don't like this Harry." He said sincerely.

"Tell me about it."

"By the look of things and rumours flying, he has taken control of the atrium and also has taken some hostages. This is a definite plan to lure you out. We must have a plan."

"How about I go and try to talk with him while you do the rescue thingy. That way both of us can accomplish our goals and try to minimise the damage."

"Not a perfect plan, but the best for the moment. We should hurry. Just remember one piece of advice – things aren't really as they seem to be."

By the time Harry, Aberforth and their four auror escorts managed to reach the atrium, the upper levels had been almost empty of population. There were some stragglers on a couple of floors but the aurors were taking care of those. Seeing the atrium reminded Harry of the battle that had occurred here on that fateful night. The circumstances were similar, but the end result was the same – Harry had to go one-on-one with the Dark Lord. The difference was that he had the help of the other Dumbledore this time around.

The atrium was as silent as a graveyard when the Harry arrived. Voldemort was present, of course, along with about fifty masked Death Eaters. He was tall and thin; his snakelike face white and gaunt with scarlet eyes and slit nose. There were also about fifteen aurors that were in very much need of help if they had any chance of surviving and overcoming the odds. Everyone had their wands drawn and pointed at the other side, except Voldemort, who was standing there calming, as if he had all the time in the world at his mercy. He also saw Bellatrix standing besides him without a mask but with a crazy glint in her eyes. He didn't recognise Snape or Malfoy among the rest.

Harry was horrified to see Remus and Tonks held hostage by the Death Eaters. They were struggling but could do nothing as they had about twenty wands pointed directly at them. He gave them a small smile. _I would take every opportunity I get to save you,_ he vowed to himself.

"Hello Harry," Voldemort greeted him in a cheerful voice. "Wish you many, many, happy returns of the day. You are looking quite good."

"Thanks, Tom. You look different. Did you get a nose job done? You also promised me a present." Harry replied in the same faux cheerful tone, standing ten feet from him. He was satisfied to see Voldemort's red eyes narrowing at Harry's use of his old name. His scar continued to prickle slightly but the pain was bearable. He could handle worse. He tried to clear his mind the best he could and tried to focus on images of him throttling Snape or Bellatrix.

"Ooh, little baby Potter is not so little anymore." Bellatrix said in her mock baby voice. "Yes, he is all grown up and eagerly wants his birthday present."

"All I ask for is a little recognition." Harry said mocking a bow. "Hello to you too, Bellatrix. You look… insanely beautiful." He was unable to find any other words.

He really had to admire the women in the Black family. If they had one thing in common, it was their surreal beauty. Though Bellatrix had suffered heavy damage to her brain in Azkaban, it hadn't been able to affect her beauty. In response to Harry's statement, she did something so uncharacteristic of her that Harry thought he had imagined the whole thing. She stuck out her tongue at him and… she _giggled_.

_Holy shit… she actually giggled._ Harry thought.

"Please do not use that name, Harry." Voldemort continued, ignoring her antics. "Since I am being civil to you, maybe you should do the same. As for your present, I must beg you to be a little patient."

His scarlet eyes narrowed suddenly looking over Harry's shoulder as Aberforth arrived to stand besides him.

"Of course, Tom, what is more civil than having two innocents that you have kept hostage?" Aberforth said.

"Ah… Aberforth, it's good to see you. I did not expect you to be present."

"Even the greatest of the Dark Lords will surely face some unexpected mysteries, won't they?"

"Yes, of course. As for them, they are for… insurance purposes only. You see, today I woke in a very cheerful mood. Then I remembered what day it was. When I realised it was Harry's birthday, I gathered my followers to visit him as I wanted to throw a party. After all, it not everyday that the Boy-Who-Lived comes of age, is it? These two were not harmed, not even a small scratch. I did not want to hurt anybody without purpose today. I made them stay so that the aurors wouldn't start a needless confrontation."

"Then let them go. Now that I am here, we can surely get the party started." Harry said at once.

"I will definitely let them go if the aurors promise to not start a fight. After all, we have a birthday to celebrate." He said looking at the surrounding aurors, who nevertheless stood their ground.

"Look at them, Harry," Voldemort continued, pointing at the aurors. "See how the fear shines on their faces. Why fight for them Harry? Look what they are doing to you – putting you on trial, and yet you stand for them. It's a shame."

"Sometimes, even if the battle cannot be won, it must still be fought. I don't fight for them, I fight for myself. As for the aurors, you would hardly find anyone who would avoid a fight just because the odds weren't in their favour – like your Death Eaters for instance. These are men of honour, and they fight till the last drop of blood in their veins."

Harry could see the aurors standing prouder and with more determination than before. A small encouragement is what everyone needs. And who better to give it than Harry Potter himself. He was pleased to see some of the Death Eaters shuffling their feet.

"So? What now?" He asked in a cheerful voice.

"Now, Harry, we move outside. This isn't the ideal place to hold a party now, is it?"

"No." Harry agreed, quite aware of the kind of party that was going to take place. "What about my friends?"

"They will be released if you cooperate. You have my word. You have been taught to apparate, correct? Meet me at the old telephone box above. And Harry, make sure that if you do not come, the result would be rather… unpleasant."

He disapparated away and Harry did so too after acquiring his wand back from the aurors. He had half a mind to just run away and hide, but then thought better of it remembering the Dark Lord's warning. He couldn't imagine what Voldemort would do if he failed to go. With a final look at Aberforth, he apparated to the telephone box where Voldemort was waiting patiently.

"You don't want to _celebrate_ in front of the muggles, do you?" Harry asked.

"Ah, no Harry, I don't think they are ready to see us yet. I have, shall we say, booked a small field for our _party_." Voldemort replied, leading Harry past the shabby looking offices. There were only a couple of drunks on the street and so no one paid them any attention. Harry looked back and saw the Death Eaters following them. Tonks and Remus were still with them, followed in turn by the aurors. _It is going to be one hell of a party_, he thought.

Voldemort led him to an inside street where they walked for about five minutes in silence. Harry saw that Voldemort was almost giddy with excitement, but managed to hide it well. He wondered how strange it would look if anybody saw them – the Dark Lord and the Boy-Who-Lived walking side by side. Finally they arrived at an area of land, roughly the size of a football field. It was completely barren except for some lighting poles. Harry felt a small tingle of magic as he neared the field.

"Those were muggle repelling wards." Voldemort said. "I saw to it that we could not be disturbed."

Harry only nodded. He was surprised that the Ministry had no knowledge of all this happening so near to them. _Incompetent red tape assholes_, he muttered under his breath.

"Do you like the setting, Harry?"

"Yeah, it's not bad."

There wasn't anything around them, just a rough plain surface, good enough for a duel.

"I am glad to hear that. You would be happy to hear that I also have found a solution for our little wand problem."

Harry was really surprised at this.

"Really? You surprise me. And here I was thinking we would have to decide who wins over a game of Gobstones or Exploding Snap."

Voldemort laughed at his sarcasm.

"The solution is the _Dome of Vengeance_. As the name suggests, it provides the invokers with an arena to settle their differences, regardless of any magical interference that may have otherwise hindered them, brother wands for instance. Only the involved parties have a right to cast the spell and then be a part of the dome. No one else can enter and only one may leave alive. The most remarkable feature of it is that it incorporates the rules of a _Duel to the Death_. You can only leave the dome, if you survive and your opponent succumbs to his death. What do you think?" He was almost bouncing on his feet like a small child who had realised that Christmas had come early.

"Fascinating." Harry said dryly.

"Then, shall we?"

"Er… is there any way I could convince you to not have this duel, surrender and not cause any more attacks?"

Voldemort just laughed heartily at this statement.

"You are a funny one, Harry. Tell me why would I want to do that?"

Harry did not have an answer to that question. He became aware that the Death Eaters had reached them and now stood behind their Master and the aurors stood behind him. Everyone had their wand out and was waiting for the moment when one of them would blink and fire the first curse and they could respond in kind. Also, some wizards and witches who had heard about the confrontation were standing to one side a respectable distance away, watching with curiosity. _They shouldn't be here_, Harry thought furiously. _Those idiots could get killed._

He once again glanced at Voldemort who was waiting for his answer. He realised that he had no option but to do this or Voldemort would make sure to cause havoc everywhere.

"Let my friends go."

Voldemort signalled something and the Death Eaters let Tonks and Remus go. They now joined the aurors standing behind him.

"What do I do to invoke this _Dome_ thingy?" He asked finally and saw Voldemort smile.

"It is very simple actually. Since we both have need for vengeance and cannot do so normally, we invoke the Dome by touching the tips of our wands and saying our names followed by 'Together we invoke the Dome of Vengeance. Let rightful vengeance be served forever'. Nothing fancy actually."

Harry took a deep breath and looked around to see the people surrounding them. He realised that he may never see them again if Voldemort won today and decided to fight with everything he had. His eyes fell on Tonks and Remus who had tried to move forward and were now being restrained magically by Aberforth. He gave them a small smile and a shake of his head telling them to stay back and not interfere. He could see Remus struggling in the magic Aberforth had cast and the old man had to try hard to contain the irate werewolf. His heart clenched painfully when he saw the tears in Tonks' eyes and realised that she was afraid that he was going to die. _Not that far away from the truth, really_, he added internally.

He tore his eyes away from them and faced Voldemort once again. He then moved forward to stand in front of Voldemort who did the same. They both raised their wands in unison so that the tips were touching each other. The moment of truth had finally arrived.

"I am Lord Voldemort…" The Dark Lord intoned.

"… and I am Harry James Potter…" Harry stated, similarly.

"Together we invoke the Dome of Vengeance. Let rightful vengeance be served forever." They both chanted simultaneously.

At once, Harry felt a surge of magic leave him through his wand and join a similar one that had originated from Voldemort. They both joined at the tips of their wands that were still touching each other and now formed a small silver globe that was pulsating with magic. The globe remained static for a few seconds drawing out the magic it required. Harry felt the small globe trying to absorb his magic and he fought hard against it. He could see Voldemort doing the same as beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

The globe then began to expand in size. It went right through them and forced the people surrounding them backwards. It continued to expand till it was about a hundred metres in diameter. It stood encompassing them as a silvery dome that continued to pulsate with barely restrained energy. Harry and Voldemort both took long breaths as the pull on their magic receded and retracted their wands.

"You didn't tell me it would try to absorb my magic." Harry said accusingly.

"Do you think I knew, Potter?"

"How should I know? You are the one that came up with this insane _Dome_ thingy. How can I believe that you didn't know? For all intents and purposes, you would have been happy had it made me weak."

"For the last time, Potter, I had no knowledge that this particular phenomenon would occur. But you are wrong in assuming that I wouldn't have told you. I want to fight you, Potter, a fight to the death, not to blindside you. I would never want to stab you in the back." He was barely restraining his anger.

Harry took another deep breath and calmed himself.

"Fine, let us begin then." He said.

"Ah, so soon, Harry? After all, this may be the last day of your life. Surely you don't want to die this early."

"You are awfully certain that I will die and won't be able to defeat you. Let me remind you that you haven't succeeded till now in your futile attempts to kill me."

"Ah, touché. But you do know that this time it is different. There is no one to help you now, nor can anyone do so. You are alone, no friends and no Dumbledore."

"No Death Eaters either. You also forget that it was you who needed help and not me. I always fight my own battles. But you send your Death Eaters to fight instead of you."

"We have to do what we have to do, Harry. And truthfully speaking, do you really think I would need any help from someone else. I, Lord Voldemort, the greatest Dark Lord ever, would have no necessity of any help. I am more experienced than you, and I should add, even more powerful."

"Yes, yes, you may be all that. I bet you can even scratch your arse and rub your belly at the same time. But can you really defeat me? I think that you cannot."

"Is that so? Pray tell me how that is possible."

"The prophecy states that I have the power to defeat you. Oh, did I forget to mention it?"

"It seems you certainly did forget to mention it."

"I know the Prophecy. I know the Prophecy." Harry said in a singsong voice.

"And am I safe in assuming that you wouldn't tell me the contents?"

"Most likely." Harry replied cheekily.

"But that is rather irrelevant, I think. You cannot kill me, I know this for sure, Harry. So I won't be wasting quality time using Legilimancy on your weak little mind. You don't have the blood protections you used to have. Also you don't have the state of mind required to do it. A true Gryffindor like you is incapable of this feat." Voldemort said condescendingly.

"Maybe, then again, maybe not. When do we start? My legs are starting to pain. You don't have a plan to bore me to death, have you?"

Voldemort laughed once again. He waved his wand a couple of times and conjured a table and two comfy armchairs. He sat in one and indicated Harry to do the same. He leaned forward, just as Harry sat down.

"Patience, Harry, Patience. Everything will happen in due time. Why don't we sit and have a nice chat. I don't always have the pleasure of a nice chat. My followers are not, shall we say, gifted with intelligence; and certainly not a wicked, though sarcastic sense of humour that you possess. Would you like some tea?" He asked and then conjured a teapot and two steaming cups of tea and began sipping on one of them.

Harry looked around and saw many people had incredulous looks on their faces. He waved at some of them.

"Well you can't expect them to crack jokes if all they get in return is a _Crucio_." Harry replied, taking hold of the other cup. The tea was good, but he was used to extra sugar. He then suddenly let out a laugh as he saw cameras flashing outside the Dome.

"What's so funny? Care to share the joke with me?"

"I was thinking about tomorrow's headline. _Boy-Who-Lived and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named meet over tea – Boy-Who-Lived kills He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for not conjuring enough sugar._"

"See what I mean. You have a good sense of humour, Harry Potter." Voldemort said and conjured a bowl with some blocks of sugar. "I will tell you one more thing about this Dome. The invokers can dispel the dome if they want and they both agree to do it. If we feel that we do not need to kill the other to settle our differences, we can dispel it."

"And why would you be willing to do that? What would I have to do?" Harry asked curiously.

"Join me, Harry. Together, we will be a force to be reckoned with. You can be my right hand, even my successor. You are powerful, Harry, I can feel it in you. But you are not trained to use that power. I will personally train you and make sure you become the best. Everyone will bow at your feet, Harry. Just think of the respect you will command. Together, we will be great. We will write history as we please. Think about it, Harry. It was destined that we come together. Our wands are brothers, and in a way, so are we. Join me, Harry, and join the path to power and greatness."

"You do know that if I had wanted to, I would have joined you a long time back. I will never join you and be a part of your evilness. I would die rather than see innocents suffer at my feet."

"Do you not see the potential of our union, Harry? We are very similar, you and I. We both are half-bloods, orphans and were raised by muggles. Let me tell you one crucial thing, Harry. There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it. Together, we can be great. I know it, and even you know it. Join me, Harry. This is your final chance."

"No." Harry had already heard the good, evil and power drivel in his first year.

"I see, a Gryffindor through and through, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"You are so much like your mother, Harry. I did not wish to kill her, did you know? She was rather intelligent and much powerful. I asked her to stand aside and let me kill you. She could have lived, even had another child. But she refused, just like you refuse now. Your fate will be the same as hers."

Harry, of course, knew this. He began to fume when Voldemort started talking about his mother but managed to control himself. Voldemort had not insulted his mother.

"Well, at least, I know that my mother loved me and died to save me instead of leaving me with nothing but a ridiculous name at the doorsteps of an orphanage."

Voldemort narrowed his eyes and looked murderous but managed to stay calm.

"How do you know this, Potter?" He asked, his calm voice betraying the rage inside.

"Dumbledore told me. I know quite a lot about you." Harry replied. He knew where the bodies were buried.

He knew he was walking into dangerous territory, but did not care. The time to back off was long gone. Now he needed to take action and cause harm, if not physically then verbally.

"She was nothing but a weakling, fraternising with a muggle and disgracing the name of Slytherin."

"She fell in love, Voldemort. Did you ever manage to accomplish that? I know for a fact that you were a charming person when you were young, didn't look half bad either. Surely, you had a crush on someone."

"That is none of your business, Potter."

"Ah, so you did like someone. But never mind, that's none of my business. Can I ask you a something?"

Voldemort just glared and nodded, albeit a little reluctantly.

"Do you like being this Dark Lord, a figure that everyone fears? Do you enjoy seeing others in pain? Have you never felt like having friends, someone you could talk to, someone who would be close to you? I understand you wanted revenge on your father for leaving you. But don't you know that he fell in love with your mother just because he was under the influence of a love potion? And that's why he left her when he had the chance. Ok, so you went ahead and killed him for leaving you. But why kill his family? They were innocents, weren't they? They had caused you no harm personally. I also know you were left alone in an orphanage and no one cared about you. Hell, even my life was practically the same till Hagrid brought my Hogwarts letter. It doesn't mean that I will go and kill them or terrify everyone who has upset me or wronged me. Tell me why you keep on doing this?"

"Have you finished your rant, Potter, so that we can finally duel? I believe that we haven't invoked the Dome of Vengeance to talk about our actions in the past or to preach morals to the other."

Harry just smiled. He had managed to hit a nerve.

"Well, it wasn't me who wanted to have an intelligent and humorous chat."

Voldemort glared an _Avada Kedavra_ glare at him making his smile widen.

"You certainly have cheek, Potter. An advantage of being the Dark Lord is that I don't have to worry about the questions you just asked me. If anyone does ask questions, well, let's just say, they won't be opening their mouths any time soon. As for your question, I think it is best to be feared and respected. But if you cannot get both, it is better to be feared. But since you asked me a question, I think I will ask you one as well. Tell me, Harry, do you not fear me?"

"Fear you? Of course not. You are nothing to be feared about. You are just an egotistical megalomaniac Dark Lord hell bent to be on a homicidal run."

"Ah, then do you hate me?"

Harry pondered about this for some time and finally decided to tell whatever he really felt.

"To tell you the truth, I hate you, but not as much as I hate some others. I hate you for killing my parents, and for killing and torturing other innocent people. I hate you because you are the reason why I could not have the love of my parents and recently have lost my godfather. I hate you because you have made me famous for something that I did not do, consciously at least. It's because of this fame that I can't live a normal life. Wherever I go, people stare at this hideous scar, courtesy of you, of course. They think they have the right to criticise my every move. One moment, I am their saviour, the next, I am a deranged attention seeking lunatic, which I might add, was also due to you hiding your head."

He took another deep breath and continued again.

"But even though all this is true, I don't hate you as much as I hate Snape or Bellatrix. Hell, even Fudge, Umbridge, Rita Skeeter, Scrimgeour and Malfoy have managed to gather more hate from me than you. I am afraid to say your number comes after all these people in my _'To Hate'_ list. But instead, I can sympathise with you. I can understand the reasons why you did those things because I suffered from most of them myself. And that is why I asked you to stop these atrocities. I think that if I can manage to control myself, then so can you."

"If you do not hate me as much as you hate some others, then pray tell me why you agreed to invoke the _Dome of Vengeance_." Voldemort asked curiously, ignoring once again Harry's plea of a truce.

"I want to end this forever, Voldemort. I am tired of all this shit, tired of living like this. I did what I did, because I had to. I know I cannot kill you completely. All those _steps on the path that leads to immortality_ will prevent me from doing that. But I may be able to destroy you like I did long time ago. If I manage to accomplish that, then at least the people can live in peace. But if you manage to kill me, I doubt if either you or I will really care at that point. I know I will surely manage to get my pound of flesh."

"You are truly an enigma, Harry Potter. It will take me years to understand what you really are. Even Dumbledore wasn't like this when he was alive." Voldemort replied and Harry was surprised with his sincerity.

"Who said Dumbledore isn't alive? He will only be gone when none here are loyal to him." Harry replied with a smile.

"Be that as it may, I will kill you, leaving others with no hope in their lives."

"And who said you can kill me? I will only be gone when there is no one here who loves me." Harry replied with another smile. "And make no mistake, people do love me."

Harry knew he was bluffing and knew Voldemort could detect if someone lied to him. But he had said it with so much conviction that even Voldemort wasn't able to tell if it was a lie.

"Then we will just have to wait and find out."

Voldemort then got up and Harry followed suit. He waved his wand causing the table, chairs and tea items to vanish. Both of them then turned and moved back, then turned around once again at the same instant. Voldemort smiled once again.

"See Harry," he said, "we are similar in more ways than one. I'll ask you one final time to join me."

"Sorry, better luck next time though."

"Any last requests?"

"Can I kill Snape, Bellatrix and Malfoy?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Ah, sorry, Harry, but I cannot let that happen." Voldemort answered with a smile.

"It was worth a try." Harry said with a shrug.

"Very well. Bow to death, Harry."

Both of them bowed a little, but kept their faces trained on the other. For a moment, nothing happened, and then both of them shouted at the same instant.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort shouted at the same time that Harry shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

Harry watched in fascination as the jet of green light from Voldemort's wand met the jet of red light from his wand, and then ricocheted off at angles.

"Well, the _Dome_ surely works." Voldemort said as an afterthought.

"You weren't sure?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Just wanted to make sure, that's all. And now – we duel."

And then the duel began in earnest. Before he could do anything, Harry was hit with the Cruciatus curse. He felt the almost familiar intense pain of white-hot knives piercing his skin and he fell to one knew but yet managed to refrain from crying out. Immediately, but shaking a little, he got to his feet to see Voldemort smirking at him.

"You are going soft in your old age, Tom." Harry said panting slightly. "Even your muggle father could have hit me with something more intense. I expected more."

He knew taunting Voldemort was definitely not a good idea. But he also knew Voldemort wouldn't take it lightly and so would be prone to making some mistake. He desperately hoped he could turn the mistake to his advantage.

"Crucio!" Voldemort cried again, but this time Harry was alert and managed to throw himself flat on the ground as he felt the magical energy of the curse passing over him. He stood up once again and faced the Dark Lord.

"Only _Crucio_, Tom? Didn't they ever teach you anything else?" He mocked again.

"I am going to enjoy watching you die, Potter." Voldemort said in a barely controlled rage. "Suffoco!" He shouted.

Harry managed to block the jet of blue light with a hastily erected shield and was amazed to see that he had managed a perfect shield nonverbally. Though he had managed to perform many spells in a nonverbal manner, they were all performed in the classroom and under controlled environment. This, however, was totally different.

His shield managed to block another curse which he could not hear but had weakened considerably. He dodged the next couple of curses by mere inches and was glad of his reflexes honed by years of Quidditch practice. He pointed his wand to the stones on the ground and repeatedly shouted, "Oppugno!" all the while dodging a couple of Killing Curses.

He was pleased to see Voldemort's attention drawn towards blocking about fifteen attacking stones. He spent the crucial moments conjuring a flock of birds and having them also attack his enemy with the same tactic. He realised that since the birds could fly, they had better manoeuvrability and were good at 'divide and conquer' strategy.

He was also pleased that a couple of birds and a stone had managed to cause some damage. He sent some other spells at Voldemort, but he managed to dodge all of them. Voldemort finally waved his wand around in a circle making the birds disappear and the rocks to stop moving.

"You are getting on my nerves, Potter." Voldemort screeched angrily.

"I live to please, Tom." Harry replied inclining his head slightly.

"Then it's a pity you won't be living for too long." Voldemort said and then sent five rapid fire Crucio curses straight at him.

Harry managed to dodge and generally avoid four of them but was hit by the last one and fell to the ground twitching in pain. _Okay, angering him was definitely not a good idea._

The cursed was lifted some time later and Harry managed to take a few breaths of much needed air. Suddenly the pain returned again as he was hit with the curse once again. This time he couldn't hold out and cried out in agony as pain ripped through his entire body. The pain stopped much later this time leaving him struggling for air on the ground.

"That hurt, didn't it, Harry? You wouldn't like some more, would you?"

The curse was placed on him once again making him suffer once again.

"You are a powerful wizard, Potter, and a worthy opponent. It's a shame that I have to kill you. But you would like to die on your feet, won't you? Get up, Potter, get up and face me, like a man… straight-backed and proud, the way your father died…"

Shakily Harry tried to get up and managed to get to his knees. He was still sore due to the pain from the Cruciatus and was hard pressed to even raise his wand.

"Come on, now, Harry. Fight me, fight me like a man." Voldemort taunted again.

Harry felt that he did not care now. He decided that every book of morals was only good enough to burn in the fireplaces. He had had enough pain. He was going to give it back. He remembered what Bellatrix had said to him. Righteous anger – he had loads of that – wouldn't work. He needed a desire to cause pain, to enjoy it. And right now he wanted desperately to cause pain and he was definitely going to enjoy it.

He summoned every bit of hate he could muster – Snape, Bellatrix, Malfoy, Fudge, Rita Skeeter, and decide to turn it in to one fatal word. He turned his emerald green eyes to Voldemort's blood red ones. He saw Voldemort's eyes widen in surprise at the look in his eyes.

"Crucio!" He shouted pointing his wand at Voldemort, and as best as he could due to his voice which was still hoarse on account of his screaming in pain.

Due to the close proximity in which Voldemort was standing, he could not get out of the way. He let out a scream as the curse hit its intended target and the Dark Lord fell to his knees screaming in pain. Harry held the curse for some time, for how long, he did not know. He had wanted to cause pain to the Dark Lord and he had done that. He had successfully cast the Cruciatus and was truly enjoying it. It felt like music to his ears. He stopped the curse as he remembered Dumbledore's words and repeated them.

"Ah, music. A magic beyond all we can do."

He saw that Voldemort was stirring and starting to get on his feet. _Well we can't have that now, can we?_ He thought. _It will cause me trouble._

"Crucio!" He shouted, once again remembering the hate he felt towards some people and directed it at Voldemort, who fell to the ground once again convulsing in pain. He was pleased at the feeling of power coursing through his veins. He had the greatest Dark Lord ever at his mercy, screaming at his feat.

"That hurt, didn't it, Tom? You would like some more, wouldn't you?" Harry said throwing Voldemort's words right back at him.

He hit him with a bone breaking curse to his right ankle and saw the blood gushing out as the broken bone protruded from the skin.

"Oops, my bad. I forgot you only like the Crucio. But you can have one for free anyway. Crucio!"

He looked around and saw that everyone outside the _Dome of Vengeance_ was staring at the scene of carnage in morbid fascination. The death Eaters looked almost catatonic, but some of the older aurors were cheering him and egging him to finish off the Dark Lord. Harry smiled at them, a cold, cruel smile.

"Look what has become of you, Tom. You are screaming at the feet of the Boy-Who-Lived." He said mockingly. "Crucio!"

"Still think I haven't got what it takes. Surely you are mistaken. You were mostly right, you know. You just forgot one thing mate – I'm Harry Potter. Ah, I almost forgot – Crucio!"

He then bent down and picked up the Yew wand from Voldemort's hand who, could not hold on to it due to the Cruciatus Curse still held upon him by Harry. Harry felt a sudden surge of power as he held the Yew wand in his left hand. He then lifted off the curse once again.

"Look, Tom, two wands." He said cheerfully. "Oh and they are also brother wands, did you know?"

Harry saw Voldemort had opened his eyes and was now staring at him horrified at the loss of his wand. He tried to move his hand but had great difficulty in doing so. But the blood ran out of his already pale face as he heard Harry's next words.

"I wonder what will happen if I curse with both of these."

Harry then levelled both wands at Voldemort, once again remembered the hate he felt, concentrating on the feeling on enjoying pain and intoned in a clear voice.

"Crucio!"

Harry felt his magic reacting to the twin wands and leaving him with a sudden surge amplifying his feelings. If Voldemort was convulsing earlier, he was now trying to break his spine by arching his back in an unnatural angle. The pain was simply tremendous.

Harry couldn't hold on the curse for long and let go after a short while due to strain it was causing on his magic. He suddenly felt extremely light headed and landed flat on the ground with a soft thud. His heart was beating thunderously. He could feel the sweat flowing in rivers down his forehead. He stayed there for quite a long time breathing heavily. The combined strain on his magic caused by the wands working together had drained him quite literally.

Then suddenly he crashed back to reality and began to feel terrible for what he had just done, not just once, but multiple times. The feeling of power was so intoxicating, so liberating, that he had willingly surrendered to it. The haze of darkness and power clouding his eyes receded and he felt his stomach rumble and the bile rise up in his throat. He turned sideways and emptied the pitiful breakfast he had eaten earlier that morning on the ground. He felt horrible, unclean, tainted and exceedingly vile. He had sunk down to Voldemort's level while fighting him. He began to feel that he was no better than Voldemort.

He turned the other side and saw Voldemort had almost gotten to his feet, and looked like he had regained his composure. But beyond him, all his followers were on their knees, screaming while clutching their forearms. Harry realised with horror that he was drawing on their magic to heal himself, through the Dark Mark. This way, even if he was exhausted, he could replenish his resources almost immediately.

Voldemort extended his hand and the Yew wand flew from Harry's open fingers smoothly into his. He waved it around his broken ankle and bandages spun around it strapping it tightly.

Harry was glad to see that Voldemort had to limp a little. He tried to get up but found that his body would not cooperate. He was very exhausted and now had an irate Dark Lord standing over him.

"I underestimated you, Potter, I admit. I thought you were a true Gryffindor. But I realise now how cunning you really are, cunning enough to fool Lord Voldemort." His voice was soft but was steadily becoming stronger.

"You truly are different, Potter, an enigma, if there ever was one. And I see how correct I was in offering you to join me. I see it now. We would have been a force to be reckoned with."

Harry again tried to get to his feet and still found it extremely difficult. He didn't know how, but the use of the twin wands had weakened him greatly. He managed to make it to his knees with a huge effort.

"But you can never win against me, Potter." Voldemort continued. "You are going to die, just like your fool of a father and your mudblood mother and your idiot godfather. Can you feel it, Potter. Death is coming to meet you. Fear it, Potter. Fear Lord Voldemort. And now, I shall give you your present – the gift of death."

Harry looked up and saw the wand pointed at him. His body had reacted badly to the twin wands and he still found making even small movements a big trouble. Voldemort had an insane smile plastered on his face, a smile of victory. But Harry knew he would not give Voldemort the pleasure of dying with fear in his eyes. He would face death like a man, straight-backed and proud, just like his father.

He just concentrated on the wand tip and the knowledge of his imminent death. He saw Voldemort moving his lips but found he could not hear him. He saw the tip of the wand glow green and the jet of light about to escape it and closed his eyes.

He had heard that when you are about to die, you see your life flashing before your eyes. He now understood what that meant. He felt sad that he was leaving his friends to look after themselves. But he knew he had tried his best, given it everything he had, done everything he could and had not backed from the challenge. But Voldemort was more powerful. And even without the horcruxes, he would be unable to defeat the Dark Lord. But he also felt happy that he could now be with his parents, Sirius and Dumbledore. For the first time in his life, he would be at peace, he would be truly happy.

He opened his eyes once again and smiled at Voldemort as the curse was just inches from his eyes. He wasn't going to fear death; he was going to enjoy it. He felt the curse striking his forehead and then slowly… everything went black.

**Author's Notes:**

1. **Aberforth & new decree** – I was hoping if someone would ask about why I put in Aberforth. We have never seen him in canon – at least I don't remember him. I also thought someone would recognise the humour behind the new decree. No luck!

2. **Minister of Magic issue** – The trial is held so that Scrimgeour can take control of Harry or his gold. It isn't public knowledge at all. Very few people know of it and it's highly under wraps.

3. **Strange Dursley behaviour** – Can be attributed to guilt. It's Petunia's method to get rid of her guilt regarding Harry's treatment. It's human psychology, accept it.

4. To **'moniteur'** – I understand the Veritaserum POV that you put forth, but what I wanted to convey was that Scrimgeour just wanted the large amounts of gold in Harry's vaults. He wasn't really interested to know where Harry had gone with Dumbledore. Maybe he did, but gold talks. The media doesn't know of the trial. Also, if you think carefully, Harry has much more to lose by asking for Veritaserum instead of letting things proceed as they are. One wrong question and boom – the cat is out of the bag. Regarding pensieve memories, I don't believe the POV that some authors use of using memories as evidence. We have seen how memories can be forged successfully. Slughorn did it badly, but Voldemort did it with Morfin. They cannot be proved to be concrete. I am assuming that magical oath's are not used in Wizengamot hearings. I assume it because if you take a false oath, then it may affect your magic or even your life and hence not used during trials. You cannot punish criminals if they end up dead. Hence they rely on hard (or false) evidence or even Veritaserum. We have known for a long time that the Wizengamot is faulty and corrupt. Hope this solves your doubts.

5. **Twist and turns and Cliff hangers** – I serve to please. After all, LEVI is an anagram of EVIL.

6. **Personal request** – Recommendations to good length HONKS or H-Fleur, Angelina, Alicia, Katie, basically lesser known characters would be much appreciated; on FF or any other site. No GW, HG, SB or Black sisters please – have come across more than enough of them.

Chapter hasn't been proofread.

Please Read and Review – Levi.


	6. Afterlife is a Beautiful Life

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Not my disclaimer either. In simple words, YOU CAN'T SUE ME.

**Spoilers:** PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, QTTA, FB.

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance.

**Rating:** M – For MATURE language and themes.

**Author's Notes:**

1. **Why didn't Harry kill Voldemort** – The answer is simple if you think about it – I wanted to complete the story another way after getting Harry and Tonks together. No, not really. Harry really wanted to kill the bastard, but he wanted to hurt him first. You should remember that he hasn't done it before. He lacks experience and was easily seduced by the dark. The exhilarating feeling of power had blown away his mind. It was almost orgasmic, and being his first time, Harry could not control it. Wait, that doesn't sound right. Anyway, hope you get my point.

2. **Why does Voldemort gloat so much** – We have seen it in GoF, we saw it in OotP. Unfortunately, I don't know about DH and am happy that I don't. In my opinion, Voldemort has a certain flair for the dramatics. He may overdo it a bit, but I thought I did it nicely. And apparently, many reviewers like to think so. Also, I love to write such an interesting conversation.

3. **Working of the Dome** – I personally designed the Dome concept to be like that – outside people could not interfere and also any magical bonds can be circumvented. The beauty was that though the link between Harry and Tom had been nullified (I felt no need to use this) along with their brother wand factor, it would not prevent the concerned parties from drawing support from outside the Dome. Voldemort's connection with his followers allowed him to use their powers against Harry, which Harry himself could have done in case he had a similar link to the outside people. This is also the main reason why Voldemort was so cocky.

I like to do some original stuff. The Dome of Vengeance was a brilliant piece of my creative mind, if I do say so myself.

4. **HONKS vs. Harry/Tonks/Fleur**– I haven't decided about this yet. The thing is I can use both the scenarios to make a number of interesting twists and turns. You won't believe the number of plot lines that cause havoc in my head. Each pairing has an appeal and certain advantages. I haven't decided it yet as I actually have time to do it. I will decide the path according to what I think will be best when I actually write it. Of course, you people can influence me by way of reviews. But let me tell you this, **HONKS** is here to stay. I would also like to tell all fans to be patient for the romantic stuff, a couple of chapters only, I solemnly swear.

5. **Personal Requests** – I humbly request readers to not reveal spoilers concerning DH. I seriously haven't read it yet and am not too keen to do so. I would also like people to recommend stories which depict lesser used pairings like Tonks, Fleur, Alicia, Angelina, Katie, etc. No Ginny, Hermione, Black sisters, Susan, Hannah, etc. There are enough of those already. Also, listing to any site that caters to such pairings would be welcome.

Sincere thanks to everyone who has reviewed. Always remember that reviews are the only incentive I get for writing this story and listening to my parents ranting at me for hours.

Sorry for the delay, I _'Blame it on the Rain'_. Siriusly! Enjoy the next chapter. Tell me what you think.

_**Chapter 5 – Afterlife is a Beautiful Life**_

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**MAYHEM AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC!**

**BOY-WHO-LIVED DIES AT THE HANDS OF HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED!**

It is with a terrible heart that this reporter writes the shocking events that followed today afternoon in the Ministry of Magic and later at a barren field in the muggle world adjoining the Ministry location.

Sources confirmed that at about ten thirty, the Ministry of Magic became a centre of chaos and panic ensued as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and fifty of his masked followers including Bellatrix Lestrange apparated in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. Readers may recall the events of the previous year when a similar situation had arisen and had to be resolved by Albus Dumbledore, recently deceased previous Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Harry Potter, dubbed the Chosen One. But this time, it was only Harry Potter who had to face He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on his own.

It was certain from the beginning that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was present to confront the Chosen One as he held an auror, Nymphadora Tonks, and a known werewolf and former Hogwarts Professor, Remus Lupin, hostage in order to draw the attention of the Boy-Who-Lived. Both of them are known to be close to the Chosen One and were present in the Ministry at that time.

What is more astonishing is the fact that the Boy-Who-Lived was present at the Ministry to undergo a trial which accused him of murdering none other than Albus Dumbledore. The Daily Prophet would sincerely like to question the sanity of the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, for taking such a blasphemous step when in fact it should be Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy, who had done the deed according to a claim by the Boy-Who-Lived.

What is further appalling is the fact that the Boy-Who-Lived was in fact arrested a few days earlier and kept in a detention centre under the highest security system that was recently constructed. The proceedings had been kept highly secret and a very few people even knew about it. The farce of a trial was interrupted by a memo sent by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named calling out the Chosen One for a confrontation if he wished the survival of his friends.

After further deliberations, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named led the Boy-Who-Lived to the muggle field earlier stated and engaged him in a duel under the Dome of Vengeance. For more information on the Dome of Vengeance, please refer page 2.

It was seen that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was trying to convince the Chosen One to join the Death Eaters, an offer which was repeatedly refused from the beginning. In the end, he was supplied with tea by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, which many Potion Masters believe to contain some sort of poison that would compel the Boy-Who-Lived to either fight or join the Dark Lord.

The battle was short but very impressive as the Boy-Who-Lived managed to cast the Cruciatus Curse on He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and even hold it for a long time. This effort was highly cheered by the aurors that witnessed the confrontation. But in the end, all efforts were fruitless as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named managed to cast the Killing Curse on the Chosen One, thereby putting an end to the life of one of the people who had stood up against the Dark Lord.

Retired auror Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, who witnessed the scene and also managed to catch twenty Death Eaters with the help of some 'Hit Wizards' had this to comment about the situation: "People should learn from today's events. It doesn't need someone to be the Chosen One to fight the Death Eaters. All it needs is a little willpower to choose between what is right and what is easy. Don't blame the lad for using the curse. The Dark Lord can't be defeated by casting stunners and cheering charms. The war isn't lost yet. I would advice everyone to practise CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and a majority of his followers managed to escape as soon as the Boy-Who-Lived had been defeated.

We, at the Daily Prophet would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to the friends of Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived and the Chosen One.

For information on Ministry Conspiracy against the Chosen One, refer to page 3.

For further details on the Duel to the Death, refer to page 4.

For information on the Boy-Who-Lived, refer to page 5, 6, 7 and 8.

---------------

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly in the sky. There were a few clouds scattered around making the heavens look more pleasant. Birds were chirping happily as they flew around the trees. The trees themselves could be seen happily weighed down with all kinds of fruits. A small white rabbit could be seen playing around them searching for food. The grass was green and the flowers growing from small shrubs were colourful and pretty. Equally colourful and dazzling butterflies were flying around from one flower to another. A gentle breeze flew all around, tickling everyone with its soft touch. All in all, it was perfect world – truly a sight for sore eyes.

A young man could be seen lying on the grass in the shade provided by an apple tree. He wore a pair of jeans and a simple T-shirt. His raven black hair swayed in the slight breeze, sometimes revealing the lighting bolt shaped scar on his forehead. His eyes were covered by glasses and were closed and he seemed to be asleep. His face appeared calm and carefree, and his brow wasn't wrinkled like it normally was, hiding the burden of responsibility that rested on his young shoulders. He was slumbering peacefully and was oblivious to nature's enchantments that surrounded him in all the directions.

His sleep, and thereby his peace of mind, were suddenly disrupted when an apple fell down directly on his head making him jolt back from his state of bliss. He was startled and frantically tried to look around searching for the person that had attacked him. His hunt for the attacked came to abrupt end when he had a look at his surroundings. He took a sudden breath, awed at the beauty that nature's magic had laid before him. His emerald green eyes fell on the fallen apple and he slowly massaged his forehead where the offending fruit had struck him. He looked at the tree that was heavily filled with apples and glared at it.

"Bloody Newton and his bloody law of gravity," he grumbled silently under his breath, as if the fruit wouldn't have fallen had Newton failed to discover the said law.

He glanced around once again making sure he was alone and that nobody would suddenly appear from behind the trees and attack him. He was disappointed to see that he didn't have his wand with him. Without it, he felt very defenceless and wanted to get away. But the view was breathtaking and his heart wanted nothing more than to stay here forever.

_Maybe I could get someone to come here with me, Tonks perhaps,_ a voice in the back of his mind said and his heart fluttered in his chest.

He didn't know where in the world he was. He hadn't been to many places in his lifetime, but he was willing to bet this wasn't anywhere in England. The weather and nature there was never this pleasant.

He looked around once again trying to decide what to do. The place was a scenic sanctuary. He was standing on a stretch of land that was adjacent to a big lake. He could see the fishes swimming in the water, some even jumping out of the water and in to the air, landing back with a soft splash. He also saw a small white rabbit looking at him with curiosity, his long ears twitching slightly. A butterfly with bright orange wings and a black border even managed to come and settle on the tip of his nose. He stared at it for a few moments when it suddenly took flight once again.

_That was odd,_ he thought.

He understood that he couldn't stay here forever and decided to get away and find someone to ask for information regarding the wonderful place, wherever in the world he was, and how to get back home, however reluctant he might be. He went up to the surface of the lake and splashed the cool water on his face, feeling refreshed immediately and almost magically. He took special care to keep his clothes and glasses dry.

He realised he didn't know exactly in which direction to go. He had three choices as one side of the land was surrounded by the lake. Yet, he couldn't decide which path to choose. All he could see was a bunch of trees which, though were placed sufficiently far away from each other so as to not seem crowded, covered the view in every direction. He chose a random direction and began his walk when he was startled once again to hear a soft feminine voice.

_Follow the white rabbit._

_What?_ He thought. _Where did that come from? And why follow a white rabbit of all things?_

The voice had sounded as if it had spoken from very close, whispered in his ears perhaps. He turned around but he couldn't see anyone in the vicinity.

_Perhaps I had imagined it._ He thought. _Yes, that's more likely. My mind must be playing tricks on me._

He took a couple of steps in his earlier chosen direction only to come to a standstill after hearing the voice once again.

_Follow the white rabbit._

It was the same voice once again. He had no doubt about that. It was soft and gentle and felt as if it was whispered in his ears.

_Okay, now this is spooky. I feel like Harry in Wonderland, which unfortunately is not far from the truth._

He looked around and saw the small rabbit still staring at him. Either he was very dumb, or the rabbit was very smart.

_Here goes nothing,_ he thought and slowly approached the rabbit. He saw that the furry little creature was perfectly still, its nose and ears twitching slightly. As he was about ten feet from it, it suddenly turned and ran a small distance in front of him and waited once again for him to come near. He plucked a couple of juicy looking apples from a nearby tree and continued on his path set by the rabbit.

_Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,_ he reminded himself.

He continued following the rabbit for almost a couple of hours. The dense forest part was gone half an hour after they had started. Now they were travelling on a grassy plain where some ruminants could be seen enjoying their daily activities. There was no human in sight and he wondered where his cute little friend was leading him. There were hills in the distance, but no humans or anything for that matter that showed signs pertaining to the existence of the human race.

He had taken plenty of stops in the last couple of hours, during one of which he had stumbled across some carrots. He had tried to feed one to rabbit, tempting it to come close. It did, eventually, but then took the carrot and hurried back immediately to its safe distance of about ten feet. The distance had been maintained by the creature from the start of their journey, even after eating the carrots. Their game had continued throughout the journey – the rabbit would move ahead, then turn around and wait for him, then move ahead once again when he was in range. And so the cycle continued.

Finally, after another half hour, the rabbit did not turn back, but rather continued waltzing straight ahead without waiting for him. At first, he thought it would stop after another couple of feet. But that did not happen. Rather, the rabbit took a sudden right turn and disappeared in the waist tall grass adjacent to their path.

"Hey," he called as he ran after it. "Hey, bunny, wait a second. Come back here."

But his furry friend had already disappeared in the tall grass. He stood at the spot the rabbit had turned and thought about what he should do now. He turned around and saw something small in the distance. It was not a tree, not an animal, and it was certainly not a hill. It was a house, a modest two storey normal house, but a house none the less. His heart filled with joy at this sudden revelation. He gave a solitary glance in the direction the rabbit had disappeared, and then started moving at a brisk pace towards the house.

_Finally some humans to talk to,_ he thought. _And thanks to you too, bunny,_ he added.

He was feeling quite hungry now, but yet he maintained the tempo. He could get something to eat later, but now he needed some information.

Another fifteen minutes and he was almost on the doorsteps. The house looked similar to his summer retreat on Privet Drive, and yet had a cosy feeling to it. It gave the impression that it was not a place to be decorated, but rather a place to live and enjoy life.

He was still a couple of metres away from the front gates when the door opened and a woman stepped outside. She had dark red hair and was wearing a cream coloured jumper and a flowing dark blue skirt. She turned absently, poking her head inside and said something that he could not make out. He stood there at the gated nervously. He did not get a decent view of her face, but he felt as if he had seen her somewhere.

_Who was this woman who lived so far away from human life,_ he wondered.

He slowly opened the gate and stepped inside, closing it behind him. The woman was still standing in the doorway, her head stuck inside. He could hear another voice, a man's.

_Maybe they are married._

"Excuse me." He said, drawing attention to himself.

The woman turned suddenly. Two sets of emerald green eyes met each other and he felt his heart leap in his chest as he unconsciously took a step back. He knew that face. He had seen it many times – in the Mirror of Erised.

A beautiful heart-stopping smile graced her equally beautiful face.

"Harry?" she said softly, and yet he heard it perfectly.

He knew that voice. He had heard it many times – every time he came close to a dementor. He had spent his entire life wishing to see that face, to hear that voice calling his name with love. He had spent many restless nights praying to some higher powers for this moment. And at last, he felt his prayers had been answered.

"Harry?" she called again.

"Mom?" he whispered.

He felt his voice crack with emotion and a couple of hot tears made their way down his cheeks. He stepped forward and was immediately engulfed in a fierce hug that could easily rival one of Mrs. Weasley's infamous ones. He felt more tears streaming down his face as he held her close to him, as if fearing she would suddenly disappear. He felt all his tensions, all his anxieties melt to nothingness as a feeling of love encompassed him. They were crying, but smiling at the same time.

"Mom?" he whispered once again.

He had somehow lost control of his voice and his emotions had taken control of his body. He felt true happiness for the first time in his life. He could feel her tears and he was sure she could feel his too, but these tears were of unbound joy, and he had waited his entire life to shed them.

"Yes, it's me Harry." She replied and then shouted turning towards the house. "James, come outside this instant."

There was a moment's delay, when the door opened once again and another person stepped outside. Harry saw his father standing in the doorway, tall, thin, a virtual clone of himself, with the same unkempt raven black hair and glasses covering his hazel eyes. He glanced at the mother-son pair and then stepped forward and enveloped both of them in a hug.

"Dad?" he whispered once again.

The one time in his life he wanted to shout out loud with joy was the time when he felt that his voice had betrayed him. His question was answered but a small squeeze and he felt another bubble of love cocooning him.

"But how is this possible?" He had finally rediscovered his voice. "Dumbledore had said that no spell can reawaken the dead? But you are alive. I can touch you, you can touch me. You are alive. And I was told you were dead. Please tell me this isn't a dream."

His parents gently disentangled themselves from him, but still held him close.

"This isn't a dream Harry." His mother replied.

"Then how come you are alive when I've been waiting to see you for years?"

"I am afraid, Harry, that you have misunderstood the situation." His father said gently.

"What's that?" He asked slowly, not trusting his voice.

"It's not me or your mom who is alive." His father answered softly. "It is, in fact, you who is dead."

---------------

The reality of his death hit Harry like a proverbial ton of bricks. The magic surrounding that place had somehow kept him from remembering the events of the past few days. But that simple statement from his father brought all the memories back in a flash. He suddenly remembered everything, and then wished that he hadn't.

He remembered Snape murdering Dumbledore, the funeral, his break up with Ginny and the warning given by Firenze. He remembered his trial and cursed Scrimgeour internally, and quite colourfully. He remembered Remus, Tonks and Aberforth and the effort they had spent in foiling the Minister's plans. He remembered Voldemort's attack on the Ministry and his subsequent duel with the Dark Lord. But above all he remembered how he had viciously cursed Voldemort with the Cruciatus Curse with his wand and then using both their wands together. And then he remembered how he had died.

On and on the memories kept flashing before his eyes. He didn't even feel his parents moving him in the house and sitting at the kitchen table. He saw the table full of various mouth watering dishes but could not feel his hunger. His desire for food had almost evaporated. He saw his mother feeding him but could not concentrate on it. He ate the food but he could not taste or smell it. He had become so numb that he couldn't even remember when lunch was over and when his parents had moved with him in the living room.

It was a long time later that his mind once again managed to grasp the fabric of reality. He looked around and saw his parents sitting in front of him and looking at him with undisguised concern and love in their eyes. The smiled at him and he felt himself smile almost involuntarily. He remembered what he had resolved during the last few moments of his life. It was true that he was dead but he did not care. He had wanted to be with his parents and here they were in front of him. For the first time in his entire existence, he felt genuinely happy.

His happiness must have shown on his face because his parents moved to sit besides him and he was once again enveloped in a fierce hug. He was happy to see them, and they were just as happy to see him. He felt loved and to him, nothing else mattered. If this was the _next great adventure_, then he wished he had died a long time ago.

"So, I'm dead then?" He asked.

"Yes," his parents answered simultaneously.

"Good." He replied shortly, though cheerfully.

"You are not sad?" His mom asked.

"Sad? No. Why would I be? I am happy, tremendously so."

"You won't miss your friends?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, I guess I'll miss them." He answered with a sigh. "But it doesn't matter though, does it? I mean everyone has to die sooner or later. People move on. I'm just glad you are here with me. There were days when I'd wish that I could have spent my life with my family. I think my wishes have been fulfilled now."

"We love you, son." James said earnestly.

"Yes," Lily continued. "We always have, and we always will."

_I have wanted to hear that for all my life_, Harry thought.

"So what is this place?" Harry asked. "Is this Paradise or Shangri La or whatever they call it? When I woke up by the lake, I felt like Alice in Wonderland."

His parents laughed at his proclamation.

"Well, that's not far from the truth really." James answered. "This is indeed Wonderland."

"But it is the Wonderland of Afterlife." Lily continued. "When you die, you come here for a brief period of time so that the _Fates_ can decide about the future of your existence."

"So we stay here for some days and then we move somewhere else? This is like a small holiday?"

"Yes, that about sums it up. We are supposed to move to our destinations when our futures have been determined. Till then, we can enjoy ourselves." James replied.

"So, er… what did you people do while… I mean… you were staying here by yourselves for all this time?" Harry asked.

"Ah, no Harry. We arrived here only this morning." Lily said. "After we died, we continued with our existence in a different manner. We cannot tell you about it as _they_ haven't decided your future yet. We are bound by secrecy laws."

"Yeah, there are strict laws regarding _Rookie Secrecy_." James added making a bitter face and Harry realised that his father was also not one to follow the rules, but had no choice but to do so.

"Oh, that doesn't matter. It's better if I don't know. It would ruin the surprise." Harry replied. He found out that he really didn't care at this moment. Another few days and he would know the truth.

"You meet other dead people then?" He asked after a few moments.

"Yeah, we have met some people, once in a while though. Once in a blue moon, actually, you can say."

"You met er… um… did you get to meet Sirius or Dumbledore?"

Harry felt his breath catch. He wanted to know the truth, but at the same time was afraid to hear it. He saw his parents' sad faces and understood that they had not yet gotten the opportunity.

"I'm sorry, Harry." Lily said. "We have met some other people, mostly those that died during the first war and some recent ones. But we haven't yet met Sirius or Albus. I'm sure though that we will cross paths sometimes in the future."

"Yeah, I hope so. I just don't want to see them disappointed that I did not manage to kill Voldemort." He replied sadly.

"No one would be disappointed with you, Harry." James said in a strong voice. "We as your parents are very proud of you, never forget that. And I know that the others will be too. Have a little faith in yourself, Harry. You gave it everything you got, didn't you? So I don't see why anyone would have the right to be disappointed with your effort. You stood your ground when everyone else just tucked their tails between their feet and ran away. That's a whole lot more of an accomplishment than anyone else can boast of. Hell, you managed to curse the bastard within an inch of his sad little life."

"Yeah, about that," Harry continued not looking at his parents in the eye. "I'm sorry about using that curse. I couldn't control my desire to hurt him. I know that I shouldn't have, but I just lost track of my actions. I just feel bad about it even though I know that he deserved nothing better. Does that make me as bad as he is?"

"It's alright, Harry." Lily said gently, squeezing his hand in a reassuring manner. "I am not saying that you did the right thing. But I will say that, since you so sincerely regret using the curse, it truly means that you are nothing like him. You are a better man that he can ever desire of becoming. Does he ever repent doing anything that he has done? No, Harry. It's all in your heart, Harry. Remember that, for your heart will never lead you astray."

"I agree with you mother, Harry." James said solemnly. "I am very well aware of the after effects of using the curse. I am, after all, familiar with it, having cursed a fair share of Death Eaters myself. It is very easy to let yourself become a part of your darker side. And had it not been for your mother, it would have left me dark and corrupted long ago."

Harry saw that his father was looking at his mother, adoration evident in his hazel eyes. He then turned towards his mother who was smiling and blushing with a colour that matched her flaming hair at the heartfelt praise and admiration. The love in their eyes for each other was very clearly seen.

He drifted back to his thoughts and wondered if someday he would find a special someone that he would fall in love with and with whom he could spend the rest of his existence. He didn't know if that was possible after death, but reckoned that he would know all about it soon enough. His thoughts once again arrived at the smiling form of Tonks and another wishful smile graced his face.

_Ah, one can only hope_, he reasoned wisely.

---------------

Time, it can be said, is a matter of perspective. A few seconds under the Cruciatus Curse will surely feel like a lifetime spent in eternal pain. But at the same time, the time spent with our loved ones, however more, will always seem very less. And in the eyes of Harry Potter, the time he spent with his parents would never be enough.

It had been almost a month since he had been here, in this _Wonderland_. And surely enough, he was having the time of his life… or afterlife rather. The place was very different in terms of magic usage. They could definitely use magic here, but they could do it without using a wand. All they had to do was wish or imagine what they wanted to happen, and it would.

He saw his parents in the kitchen preparing lunch together. Actually, his mom was preparing lunch and at the same time trying to clear the mess his father was creating in his enthusiasm. That drew another huge smile on his face.

He had learned that being his parents, James and Lily Potter both had been aware of the various adventures that he had been on in his life. As a matter of fact, they knew all the things that had happened in his life, but nothing else. All that was missing was the details. For example, they knew he had had a not so good childhood, but that was about what they knew about it. They knew he had slain the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, but they didn't know how he had managed it. Or even that at one point of time, he had a basilisk fang stuck in his hand.

And so, he had spent most of his time telling stories about his life to his parents. He marvelled at how fascinated and occasionally how terrified they became when he informed them about how dangerous his adventures had been. He had tried to downplay some brutal aspects of those in the beginning, but had been on the receiving end of nasty glares from both of them when they had found out. And so, he had to reluctantly tell the story of his life as _'the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth'_.

It wasn't so bad, he reckoned later. But at that point of time, he wasn't sure. He definitely was happy that his parents knew everything about him. There was no reason to keep any secrets. And so he had told them everything.

He had only briefly mentioned his time at the Dursleys. He didn't think there was much to tell, but told them all the important details. His mom had been very angry initially but Harry had managed to calm her down saying that it really didn't matter now.

The story of his crush over Cho had been a major source of teasing material for his parents. He had thought that they would never let him forget that. But he had been wrong. Ginny had become an even bigger source that eclipsed Cho quickly and she had been immediately replaced when he had informed them about his short intimate encounter with Tonks. He still remembered the conversation quite clearly.

---------------

"_Ah, you like older women, Harry? Who would have guessed?" His father had said, teasingly._

"_We didn't know anything… much. Besides she was drunk and it would have been improper. It would have seemed like I took advantage of her." He had replied indignantly._

"_But still, Harry," his father continued. "Chances like this don't come often. I'll say you missed a golden opportunity."_

"_James," Lily said glaring at James. "Stop corrupting my son." She then turned towards him. "You did the right thing Harry. Besides, what your idiot of a father doesn't understand is that this way you are more likely to be able to get her than when she was vulnerable. It shows you are a proper gentleman, unlike some other people I know, who have done just the opposite of what you did." She once again continued glaring at his father while he desperately tried to look innocent and failed by a huge margin._

"_What?" Harry shouted in shock. "Did dad… er… you know… er, did this kind of stuff?"_

"_Why don't you answer the question, James?" Lily said._

"_Lily, come on love. You know I love you. He doesn't need to know." He said pleadingly. "Harry, say you don't want to know."_

"_Tell me mom." Harry said with a grin that managed to overflow his face. He didn't really need to know, but he might as well get some teasing material for himself._

"_It was after our fifth year." Lily said. "The Potters had arranged a party to celebrate their prodigal son's good OWL scores. Many pureblood families had been invited, the Bones, the Blacks, even the Malfoys. The party had lasted till very late. The parents had left early to let the kids enjoy. And what do they do? Your father and Sirius somehow managed to get firewhiskey on the menu. And then everyone was drunk. And then your father somehow ended up in bed with Narcissa, who you might recall is Sirius' cousin and now married to Lucius Malfoy."_

"_Way to go dad!" Harry exclaimed before he could stop himself and found his father looking at him with a huge smile on his face. He then found his mother glaring at him and had to suddenly reverse his course. "Er… I mean, you shouldn't have done that." He continued falteringly. "That's bad. You did a terrible thing. I didn't expect such a thing from you."_

_His mother smiled at his bias as she could not hold her stern face for long wherever her family had been concerned. She had seen enough of these antics already in her life. She had known from the beginning that Harry would definitely take his father's side, just as Sirius had when he had found out. But she didn't hold a grudge against James either, because he had been honest with her and had told her himself. He had been totally drunk, which did not necessarily bail him out but at least gave him the benefit of doubt. Besides, the fact that she could use it sometimes to make him feel guilty, was another advantage altogether._

_Truth be told, Harry was surprised and happy that his father had managed to bed someone like Narcissa. She was one of the Black sisters and he had already seen how beautiful she was. He briefly wondered if that had affected his parents' love, but found out the truth that his father's honesty had in fact strengthened it. It reflected the trust they had in each other._

---------------

He had also questioned his parents about their lives and had learned many interesting things about them. The most important conversation was how in the world they had finally got together. He knew for a fact that his dad was always trying to impress his mom but she had stoically kept refusing to acknowledge his advances. It was indeed a wonder that they fell in love.

---------------

"_So how did you guys get together? From what I know, dad always tried to impress you and you always kept him away. I would never have thought you would fall in love."_

"_Well, Harry, you have to remember that I've always been a ladies man." His father had said. "It didn't hurt that I am quite handsome and a good specimen of the male species. It was only a matter of time before your mother fell in my love net."_

_Lily only rolled her eyes at her husband's attitude. She knew she had to tell the truth as he would never tell it himself._

"_First let me tell you one thing, Harry. You are unique in more ways than one. Do you know why?"_

"_Is this because of the prophecy…" he said uncertainly._

"_Ah, no, we aren't talking about that. You are unique because you are a complex mixture of me and your father, not just physically, but even emotionally. You must have heard many times how similar you look to your father and how you have my eyes."_

"_Yeah, I get that a lot." He replied truthfully._

"_You have all the good traits that your father and I have and as well as some of the bad ones too." She continued._

"_You're as temperamental as your mother." His father cut in._

"_And you are as stubborn as your father." She continued glaring at him. "But so that you know, you are unique. You may have our traits, but you are definitely your own person. What I want to say is that do you remember the end of your fifth year when you were going to save Sirius? You told us Hermione had said you had a 'saving people thing'. Do you remember?"_

_Harry nodded reluctantly. How could he ever forget that! If only he had listened to Hermione, Sirius wouldn't have to come save his ass in the Department of Mysteries._

"_Well guess who you got that from?" Lily asked finally._

_Harry felt the parts of his brain finally clicking into place and incredulously looked at his father who was looking elsewhere, a bit of colour on his cheeks. And then he understood the situation completely. Of course, he was aware that his father had saved Snape. But he then realised that this was the reason that his mother finally managed to see the other side of James Potter._

"_Your father was an extremely arrogant person from the beginning." Lily continued. "I guess that comes from being a pureblood. He and his friends managed to dub themselves as the __**Marauders**__. You are of course familiar with them. Together, this group managed to cause havoc at Hogwarts the likes of which has never been witnessed before. They would pull pranks on unsuspecting people and think they were the heroes of the world, which I guess they were in a way. What you must realise Harry, is that your father and his friends did not do this to spite anyone. Some of there pranks were on innocents, but so were the pranks themselves. But most of them were borderline dangerous and were reserved only for the Slytherin populace, and even then only those who harassed others. People like Malfoy, Nott and many others did get their just rewards at the hands of the Marauders, and that too because they themselves were up to no good."_

"_So they did those pranks just for fun?"_

"_They never had any intention of harming anyone, Harry… well, anyone except Snape I guess. They never started the wars themselves, but they surely managed to finish them and stand in their feet in the end. The multitude of fights took place because your father and his friends were so famous that they attracted jealousy like a light bulb attracts moths."_

"_And what about Snape?" Harry asked._

"_Snivellus, as you know, was never a pureblood." James continued. "He just went along with the pureblood crowd because he was sorted into Slytherin. That doesn't mean he wasn't a mean jerk, which he was. He just happened to be with the ones who started a fight with us and was one of the last one standing among them. He knew a lot of stuff, I'll give you that. But he was an asshole through and through."_

"_James, mind your language." Lily admonished._

"_Come on, Lily. Harry is an adult now. I am sure he swears every time he comes face to face with Snivellus."_

"_Hem, hem," Harry cleared his throat in an unconvincing imitation of Umbridge. "So how did you two get together?"_

"_Yes, of course," Lily continued. "It was during the holidays after our sixth year when me and my friends were in Diagon Alley shopping for our final year. The Death Eaters had conveniently decided to use the same time to attack the Alley. Many people lost their lives, but many others were saved because of the valiant efforts of James, Sirius and Remus. They fought very bravely saving many innocent lives that day and even managed to capture ten Death Eaters among themselves. The rest of them fled when the aurors arrived. But I could clearly see the selfless nature James had kept hidden under the mask of arrogance. Never had I seen someone who was so willing to fight for others that their own life meant nothing to them. And that was when I saw the real James, someone only few knew about, someone that hardly ever emerged from behind that mask. And that was when I fell in love with him. And I know that I did not make a mistake then. We have been together from our seventh year and we will be together forever."_

_Harry saw the pride and love that was reflected in his mother's eyes towards his father, who was looking a little embarrassed about the praise. He now understood perfectly why Snape had let him see the memory in his pensieve. That bastard wanted to make him hate his father. But hearing the truth from his mother made all the doubts that he had vanish in an instant. He indeed felt very lucky to have them as his parents._

---------------

Harry once again came back to the present and saw his parents arguing over something. That was another aspect of their beautiful relationship and it reminded him very much of Ron and Hermione. They would argue over seemingly inconsequential issues for a long time, by the time they ran out of steam they would have already argued over hundreds of different matters and also forgotten what the original argument was all about. In the end they would adopt the clichéd method of _'kiss and make up'_. How he wished Ron and Hermione would learn to do the same.

He remembered the first few days when he was terribly afraid to fall asleep. Each night, his mother would lovingly tuck him in his bed caressing his face tenderly. He imagined this was what his life would have been like when they were alive. He would pretend to fall asleep but in reality he would be wide awake. He would then get out of his bed after a couple of hours of staring at the ceiling and move silently to his parents room. He would then spend some time standing at their bedroom door, convincing himself that this was not a dream, and then go to sleep. His mother had caught him after a week and had rocked him till he fell asleep in her lap. From that day forth, he had slept like a log.

He saw that his parents were still arguing and there was no sign of lunch being ready at all. On top of that he was beginning to feel quite hungry. He got up and went to the kitchen to stop their constant bickering. He wrapped his arms around his mother's waist and kissed her cheek softly. He was slowly getting used to receiving and showing affection which had been foreign to him till his death.

"Can't you continue your lover's feud later?" He asked in his special small child voice. "I'm famished."

His mother turned around and kissed his cheek in a similar manner.

"It would have been ready by now, had your father not kept coming in my way." She said.

"Hey," his father replied indignantly. "It's not my fault if _you_ keep interrupting me. And you young man, take your hands off my woman and go find someone for yourself."

Harry, who by now, was quite used to the teasing, decided to let out a smart reply of his own.

"Well, I can't help that I'm so handsome that beautiful girls always want to be with me." He said and kissed his mother once again, this time on both cheeks.

"You aren't more handsome than me. We practically look the same." His father retorted.

"Ah, maybe, but my eyes are more beautiful. What do you say, lady?" He replied nudging his mother gently and winking flirtatiously.

"His got you there, James." She replied, laughing at their antics.

"Fine. Then I'll just have to remind you how I am the better man. Something like last week should work, I suppose." James said, smirking.

Groaning, Harry ran out of the kitchen, deciding to eat some fruits to satisfy his hunger. He had somehow managed to block the events of last week but his father's statement had brought them to the surface once again. Somehow he knew that it would take an awful lot of time for lunch to be ready, if the events of last week were anything to go by.

---------------

_It was another day and Harry had decided to spend his time flying in the pleasant weather. He had managed to find some brooms in a cupboard a few days after he had arrived and was quite eager to be airborne once again. They were not as good as his Firebolt, but were comparable to his Nimbus. The day had started much pleasantly and he had awoken to find his parents singing songs and doing the chores together. He felt a little jealous seeing them so in love with each other, but he also felt happy to see them so. By now he was quite used to see them laughing, flirting and kissing whenever they felt they were in the mood._

_He had completed his breakfast and rushed out to fly with a promise from his father to be joined as soon as possible. After about an hour of aimless wandering, he began to feel thirsty and headed home for a glass of water and also to see if his father would indeed be joining him._

_He entered to see that there was no noise coming from within the house. Deciding to find his parents after quenching his thirst, he approached the kitchen and opened the door. As soon as he had he opened it, the sounds and sights from the room made him wish he hadn't done so. He felt his feet rooted to the ground as his mind struggled to grasp the entirety of the situation._

_He saw his father standing besides the dining table with his back to the door. Behind him, Harry saw his mother, or rather only her head sticking over his father's shoulder, probably sitting on the edge of the table, her legs wrapped around his waist. He was thankful to the heavens above that he could only see his mother's head the second he realised that both his parents were naked, judging by their clothes that were lying on the floor. They were also busy enough to not notice him. The sounds of their intermingled moans assaulted his ears and he could do nothing but stare at them with his mouth hanging open._

_His brain finally decided to bring him out of his stupor and he managed to make a sound that strangely resembled that somebody was crushing his whole body at the same time. All the actions suddenly stopped as his mother's eyes flew open and caught his own. It was strange to see an expression of 'deer caught in the headlights' flicker across her face before she managed to take control of herself._

"_Harry," she said, in a thick voice so unlike her own. "Your father and I are a little busy at the moment. Now be a dear and leave us alone."_

_Harry, for his part, didn't need to be told twice. Completely forgetting that he was thirsty, he rushed out of the kitchen like a bullet fired from a gun, banging the door behind him and went up to his room. He lay on his bed, pulled over the covers, and also placed some pillows on his head for good measure, trying very hard to forget whatever he had just seen. He silently resolved over and over again that he wasn't going to get out of bed ever again in his entire life… or afterlife… or whatever state of existence he was in. he had never felt so mortified in his entire existence._

_After another hour, he realised that his wishes would not be coming true as he heard his bedroom door open._

"_Harry," he heard his father call. "Get up son. I think it's time we had a little chat."_

_When Harry still did not respond, his father roughly pulled him out of bed and told him to freshen up, then dragged him to the grounds outside. What followed next was a couple of hours of listening to his father give him 'the talk' or 'the birds and the bees' in simpler terms._

_Harry, who had managed to ask what good the talk would do, now that he was dead was amazed to learn that 'being dead did not stop anyone from having sex, hot chicks were also present in the afterlife', to quote his father. As soon as he realised his ace was already spent, he had nothing to do but to listen to his father._

_His father had started by saying that since they didn't know each other for very long, they should pretend to be friends. That way, this wouldn't be much different that talking about girls with Ron. He suddenly felt a little more comfortable and by the end, Harry managed to find it useful and immensely informative. Of course, it went without saying that he would never admit that, but the fact still remained that he learned a lot, especially from the little tips and tricks his father had embedded in his mind._

_When he returned home once again, the atmosphere was a little tense in the beginning, but they managed to get in their old rhythm once again and the morning episode was soon forgotten._

---------------

When lunch was finally over, his father had managed to lasso him to play a game of chess. Harry had found out that he had earned his feeble chess skills from his father. As a result, there games would usually be very interesting and often result in stalemate. His mother who preferred reading novels instead, had aptly named their game as _'war of the dummies'_, with which he wholeheartedly agreed.

The game was halfway through and was getting very interesting when the doorbell rang in sweet chiming tones. Harry saw his parents exchange significant looks and decide to answer the door himself. He of course knew who it would be. _Seems like the Fates finally decided the course of our future_, he thought.

He opened the door to see six people, three males and three females, waiting outside patiently. They were dressed in majestic dark green robes with gold and silver embroidery and carried themselves with an air of authority. They all appeared to be middle aged and looked every bit as someone in a position of power. He welcomed them inside and led them to the living room where his parents were already waiting. He gestured them to sit and then went to stand with his parents.

After a couple of minutes of silent staring where Harry thought that they all were judging him, a man stood up and addressed him, looking him in the eye.

"Mr. Harry Potter," he said in a deep baritone voice. "We are the Council of Fates. We have come here to convey to you the decision taken by the Council regarding your future."

Harry saw the others nod in agreement and wondered what the future held for him. He couldn't help but feel that this man was certainly self centred and a little pompous. He was suddenly reminded of Fudge.

"Please continue," he said when he saw the man waiting for his response.

"The Council has resolved that you are to be sent back to your earlier life, where you shall have one more chance to fulfil your destiny. Your parents, Mr. James Potter and Mrs. Lily Potter are to return to the existence they enjoyed after their deaths."

Harry saw his mother clutching his father's hand in a tight grip after hearing the news and his father trying to say something in return as words failed him. He felt his mind swirling with emotions as he considered how utterly stupid this Council of Fates really was. All his dreams of spending the rest of his days living with his parents were shattered as he heard the decision of the Council. He knew he had to take some action now or all would be lost forever.

"Mr. Harry Potter," the man continued. "Do you agree with the decision of the Council and are willing to act accordingly?"

"No," Harry replied.

"No?" The man asked, in a confused voice.

"No."

"No?" He asked once again. "What do you mean no, boy?"

Harry felt a little angry by the change in the man's tone. He didn't like to be called _boy_ by anyone. He had decided to take action and he had to do that now. And no self centred and pompous Council member was going to stop him. _Not to mention slow witted_, he reminded himself.

"No means the opposite of yes." Harry answered in a patronising tone making his father snort. He also saw the other Council members trying to hide smiles while the man was fuming under his breath. He thought the others definitely weren't as pompous as him. "In other words, I am disinclined to acquiesce to your decision."

"You dare to go against the decision of the Council of Fates?" The man roared.

"I will do whatever it takes to stay with my parents. If that means going against your decision, then so be it."

"Is that so, Mr. Potter? Then I'm afraid you leave me no choice. Members of the Council, make note that the subject refused to accept the Council's decision. As a result, we have no choice but to use whatever means necessary to implement the decision."

He gave a sinister grin making Harry gulp. He was relieved to see the other members were unhappy with the way the things had progressed so far, and this unhappiness was directed at the maniacally grinning man. He understood that these people had the power to force him to return back and he resolved to oppose them even if he died once again.

The man gave another grin and Harry saw how helpless the situation would be without his wand for protection. The man now extended his hand in front of him and Harry was amazed, and equally afraid, to see a small sphere of bright orange light enclosing his fist.

_Uh-oh! This is not good. This is definitely not good._ Harry thought as he saw the man throw the sphere of light towards him.

**Author's Notes:**

Poor Harry! Can't even be peacefully dead without people attacking him!

So, what do you think? I'll bet anything that you weren't expecting this. Did Harry do the right thing by refusing to go, or should he have accepted the decision? Come on, review and let me know what you thought about this instalment of NGA. Also, if you would like to see a certain turn of events, let me know and I'll see if I can fit them in the story. I'll give you the credits for it, of course.

What would Harry do now?

1. Return without question? (Like that's gonna happen!)

2. Manage to somehow stay in the afterlife.

3. Manage to bring his parents back with himself.

4. Anything else.

This was the biggest chapter I've ever written. Reviews shall be greatly appreciated. – Levi.

This chapter has not been proofread.

Please Read and Review.


	7. A New Day, A New Life

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Not my disclaimer either. In simple words, YOU CAN'T SUE ME.

**Spoilers:** PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, QTTA, FB.

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance.

**Rating:** M – For MATURE language and themes.

**Author's Notes:**

**1) ****To my Reviewers:** I know I don't reply to all the people who review, but know that I read each and every one of them. That said, I do and will answer any questions you may have about the story if I think it won't reveal a future plot. All the reviews are precious to me, so keep reviewing. Reviews are the fuel that keeps the story going strong. Special thanks to _**F.J.A.Campbell**_ for a truly magnificent review. Hope you get most of your answers in the end.

**2) ****Regarding NGA:** I pride myself for being one of the authors who dare to keep off the beaten path and so bring much needed creativity. And from your wonderful reviews, I think I am achieving it.

**3) ****Apologies:** I would like to say I'm extremely sorry for the long wait. I had fractured my right hand when my bike skid off the road and so was in a cast for the last three weeks or so. I hope this update will quench your thirst a little.

**4) ****Important:** I have once again gained an Internet connection. I would like to thank my friend, Jason who did the uploading work for NGA till now. Those of you who want to contact me can now do so freely.

My e-mail ID is: crypticscripture (at) gmail (dot) com

My LJ: cryptic-scripts (dot) livejournal (dot) com

I aspire to be an MBA and the test is in the fourth week of November, so most of my time will be spent studying. As a result, the updates would not come as fast as they should. Please bear with me. I promise to keep writing in whatever time I get.

**5) ****Story Stats:**NGA has managed to gather the following stats since it started. I can't express how much it pleases me to see these.

Reviews: 116

Favourites: 78

Alerts: 159

Anyway, on with the show! Please Read and Review. Constructive Criticism is always welcome.

_**Chapter 6 – A New Day, A New Life**_

_The man gave another grin and Harry saw how helpless the situation would be without his wand for protection. The man now extended his hand in front of him and Harry was amazed, and equally afraid, to see a small sphere of bright orange light enclosing his fist._

'_Uh-oh! This is not good. This is definitely not good.' Harry thought as he saw the man throw the sphere of light towards him._

Harry reacted instinctively and forced his parents down on the ground and crouched down himself, thereby managing to avoid the orange sphere by mere inches. But as the sphere went past him, he could literally feel the power that radiated off it as it caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand and crackle.

He had just managed to stand up when he felt the sphere approaching him once again and learnt that it was similar to a lock on missile and unfortunately the blasted thing was locked on him. It would keep coming on to him forever and eventually catch him if it wasn't stopped. And Harry had no intentions of getting caught.

He sprinted away from his parents glancing back for a fraction of a second and was happy to see that the sphere was indeed following him and would not hurt his parents. He saw that his parents were still crouched down and were a completely shaken with the turn of events.

He once again managed to outmanoeuvre the sphere by jumping to his left and throwing himself on the ground. Just as he managed to roll over, he was shocked to see that the sphere had come to a complete standstill just above him instead of overshooting past him and was beginning to vibrate as if getting ready to explode.

Before he could move another inch, a number of tendrils of orange light shot out from the centre of the sphere in all directions with amazing speed and were buried in the ground surrounding him. Harry just managed to get to his knees, but was denied any further attempt of escape as the tendrils managed to form a hemispherical cage around him. The tendril cage looked remarkably similar to the cells he saw in the Ministry Detention Centre and were equally strong.

_Not again, _he thought glumly, trying to break free from his sudden confinement. His sudden movements caused another flare in the orange sphere as it pulsed violently and immediately the gap between the tendrils was covered by a filament, making it impenetrable.

He looked around to see _pseudo Fudge_, as he had decided to call the pompous man, come to a halt just a few feet near the tendril cage. The man had a smug look on his face, almost like the cat who had managed to eat the canary. _Ironically, that's not far from the truth,_ Harry thought.

His thoughts suddenly changed to murderous when he saw the effect his current predicament was having on his parents. His father had managed to hold his composure, but his mother was crying with worry. She suddenly ran forward from his father's embrace and managed to make her way to stand between the cage and _pseudo Fudge_.

"Please let him go," she cried, "Please, not Harry!"

"Stand aside, Mrs. Potter… stand aside now…," _pseudo Fudge_ said condescendingly.

And suddenly, Harry felt something stir inside his chest. It was so unexpected and so strong that for a moment he thought his heart was going to explode. It was a feeling he had before, a feeling of power, so strong, so overwhelming, that he was sure it would consume him completely.

His mother's pleadings had let loose something inside him, an untameable monster, who would crush everything in its path. It was as if a dam was broken, and the force of the water could surely not be held by anything else. He had heard his mother pleading for him once before when Voldemort had come to kill him on that fateful Halloween night. It was now that he realised how much he hated that she had to plead for his life.

He remembered he had felt this way once before, when he was casting the Cruciatus on Voldemort. Then, he wanted to cause the bastard pain beyond imagination. But this was different. The feeling of power was there, but its primary cause wasn't to hurt someone. Instead it was to break free from the cage that was causing emotional grief to his parents. And then, the residual power would be used to seriously hurt _pseudo Fudge_.

He extended his hands and touched the orange sphere. It was as if the power inside was guiding him, helping him achieve what he wanted to achieve. The sphere started vibrating again as small beads of light started moving slowly through the tendrils from the ground and in to the sphere. Slowly, the filament dissipated leaving only the tendrils. The beads were now moving at an increased pace and a few seconds later, the tendril cage too dissolved, leaving the orange sphere humming in his hands.

Harry slowly got to his feet, the sphere clutched in his hands. He removed his left hand from the sphere and wiped away the sweat that was flowing down his forehead. He glared at _pseudo Fudge_, who was looking very much panicked now that the circumstances had been altered and stepped back a couple of steps to get away from him.

The remaining Council members, Harry observed, were looking at the proceedings with a small smile on their faces, as if they had expected this to happen from the beginning. His father, on the other hand, was looking at him in awe and his mother, who had managed to move back in his father's arms, was teary eyed, but smiling nonetheless.

Any further altercations were abruptly called off, when a woman appeared directly between Harry and _pseudo Fudge_. She was wearing majestic robes similar to the council, but which were instead dark blue in colour. She turned to face him and Harry noticed that she was not someone to be trifled with.

"Harry," she called out softly, yet firmly, "Let it go." She said indicating the sphere.

He looked in her eyes and then thought back to what she had said. He could let go off the sphere, but there was no guarantee, the Council or this woman wouldn't attack him again. And he wasn't certain he could pull off this stunt once again. _It was time to play safe,_ he thought.

"Who are you?" He asked.

He was surprised to hear his voice so strong and confident, but managed to quash it successfully.

"Harry, I promise I am not going to hurt you or your parents." She replied. "I also won't force you to return. I just want to talk to you. But first, you must calm down and let it go."

"You are not going to hurt my parents?" Harry asked slowly.

"No."

"And you won't force me to return?" He asked again.

"I won't."

"You promise?"

"I swear it."

"Well then, I have a question for you."

"Yes, ask away."

"Er… how do I turn this thing off?" He asked pointing to the pulsating orange sphere as if it were a light bulb.

He was slightly embarrassed to see the woman and the Council, except _pseudo Fudge_, smile at his sincere question. It was true, that he held the sphere in his hand and he was almost overflowing with barely restrained power. But it was also true that he didn't know how at all he had managed to get out of the cage and hold it in the first place.

"Let me," she said and enveloped her hands around the sphere in his hand.

Harry was amazed to see the sphere slowly dissolving as her hands moved inwards. At the same time, he could feel the tension and the excess power he had managed to accumulate subside. He heaved a sigh of relief as the sphere dissipated completely, which caused the woman to smile once again.

She turned around to the Council, who just nodded and disappeared from the house. Suddenly it felt as if they never were present in the house and the confrontation they had had never taken place.

Harry was suddenly engulfed in a bear hug by his mother as more tears found their way down her cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her and tried to console her as best as he could. He was never good with crying women and he looked at his father for help, who just chuckled but managed to remove him from her surprisingly strong grip.

He then turned to the woman in the dark blue robes silently waiting for her to begin.

"My name is Aurora. I wish to speak with you." She said, answering his earlier question.

"Who are you? And what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked, genuinely puzzled, by her statement, as well as her sudden appearance.

"You will know soon enough."

"What about mum and dad?"

"They would be told later."

"Okay."

"Follow me."

"Why can't we talk here?" He asked, once again on the defensive.

"Remember my promise." She replied seeing his reaction.

She waved her wand and a door magically appeared alongside her within a frame. She opened it and Harry saw the same scenery where he was woken up by the falling apple. She glanced in his direction and then stepped through the door. _A gateway… cool,_ Harry thought.

He gave his parents a reassuring smile and followed Aurora through the door. Once he was through, she waved her hand once again and the door disappeared in the same way it had appeared earlier.

She moved towards the lake and sat on its edge, while Harry followed suit and sat beside her.

"So what's this about?" He asked.

"Tell me Harry, what do you think about magic?" She asked while looking at the lake.

Harry was confused by the question. He couldn't figure out why this woman wanted to know what he thought about magic. He had thought she would want to convince him to return back to life. He also wasn't sure that he could stand against her if she decided to overpower him.

"Er… magic is… um… magical. I mean, magic is magic. It just is."

_Wow, great answer Mr. Obvious,_ he said internally, but was surprised to see Aurora smile.

"Can you be more specific, Harry?"

"Er… I think doing magic is an ability a person has by which he can do things, cause certain thing to happen, you know, like levitating, summoning, etc."

"That's a very good answer Harry, but only if the question would have been 'what can a person do with magic'. What I want to know is what _you_ think about magic, specifically your _ability_ to do magic. In other words, what does magic mean to you?"

Harry pondered this over for a few seconds and thought back to the time Hagrid had first told him that he was a wizard. That memory, in itself, was patronus worthy.

"When I first learnt that I was a wizard, that magic was real, and I had the ability to do it, it was an exhilarating feeling. It was as if all my dreams had suddenly come true. At that moment in my life, I felt like there was someone above watching over me. And that someone had given me a gift, a very special gift. It was my birthday, so I guess it was natural. But even now, when I think about it, I feel the same way. For me, magic would always be a gift, something that I have been given, something that made me a _freak_, and yet, at the same time, made me infinitely special. And then there are times when I feel that it is magic who is special and I am someone very ordinary. Does that make any sense?"

"On the contrary, Harry, that makes perfect sense."

"How does that make any sense? I thought I was rambling."

"It is when you ramble that the truth hidden deep in your heart comes to the surface. Magic has existed for eons now. There is no definite way to truly explain what magic is, for nothing can be accomplished as it is also true that magic cannot be completely understood. And as you said earlier, magic just is."

"So what is this really about?"

"I am here to explain some things to you Harry, which are related to your ability to cast magic. Every magical being has a bit of magic in them, even squibs for that matter – some less, some more. The magnitude may differ, but if you are magical, then you have magic inside you that you can utilise to a certain degree. The situation becomes different when the magic becomes so in tune with the magical being, that it becomes sentient."

"What? Magic becomes sentient, as in alive or something?" Harry asked, getting more confused.

"You can say that. Not alive exactly, but magic gains the ability to feel. It sees what you see, it feels what you feel, and hence in a way it is alive."

"So how's this related to me?" He asked already dreading the answer.

"Your magic is sentient, Harry, but I guess you already figured that out. Its sentience is partially due to your own feelings and abilities, and partially due to the efforts of your mother."

"My mother… how does that work out? You mean the protection she offered me?"

"That is correct. Your mother's love, her sacrifice, is the catalyst in making you who you are today, as well as the sentience of your magic."

"What exactly does sentient magic imply? And what do you mean by feeling and abilities?"

"You must understand that magic is inherently sentient to a small extent. It means that you gain the ability to do something just by wishing it to happen. Often this happens under extreme conditions. You can call it accidental magic."

"Oh!" Harry said, thinking about the time he had blown up Aunt Marge.

"The extent of sentience of magic depends on the magical beings feelings, its emotions so to speak. The more emotional a person, the more sentient its magic would be. The abilities of a person also make magic more alive, for then it has that many different avenues to expand. Take for example your ability of parseltongue. When you gain some ability, it makes your magic more harmonious to yourself instead of being a general entity. The sentience of magic is also influenced by your feelings, more precisely what you think about magic itself. Often it is the people that feel they are above everything else have lesser magical sentience than those that think they are ordinary. People always believe that being magical gives you a power over others. They fail to see that it is indeed a gift, as you aptly think. I believe you can call it a feeling of gratitude, that magic bestows on a person, for making it feel special."

"Okay. So tell me why you are telling me all this. I can't believe you won't try to make me go back."

"I don't deny that, in the end, it is indeed what I wish to accomplish. But it is my faith that you would do so under your own free will, and not just because I tell you to."

"You are free to try."

"The main reason why I am explaining the sentience of magic is because the degree of sentience your magic has attained. You have seen what Aberforth can do. His magic is more sentient than most others. Even Albus would find it difficult to overcome him in a duel. Even your metamorphmagus friend Nymphadora Tonks has a gift that makes her magic sentient. Even Veela for that matter have high level of magical sentience. The difference is that while they do have sentient magic, it is limited to a particular ability. True sentient magic, on the other hand, can be performed as one may wish. Essentially, sentient magic allows itself to be manipulated as a person wishes."

"You already explained that."

"Hmm… so now that you understand what sentient magic truly is, you can try to understand why it is that you must return."

"And why is that exactly?" Harry asked in a somewhat harsh tone.

"The reason is that due to the sentience of your magic, you are not actually dead."

"What? How's that possible? I mean, I was hit with a Killing Curse, wasn't I?"

"Let me make things a little clearer Harry. What you term as life and death are all relative terms. In effect, you are neither alive nor dead. You actually exist, in one form or the other, and continue to do so until, well… you don't need to know that. The point is that what you term as life is essentially one way in which you continue to exist. When you die, you move on to the _next great adventure_, as Albus likes to say."

"Okay. I don't think I understand it all, but continue please."

"Do you know how a Killing Curse works? There are five fundamental things that allow a person to exist – body, soul, mind, heart and magic. The body is basically a medium for the soul to reside. Of course, it can do so without one too as you very well know, but only when it has an anchor."

"You mean like a horcrux?"

"That is correct. Your mind and heart is what differentiates you from the others and your magic is what binds everything as a group. You can exist in the absence of any of the first four quantities, but not without magic. The Killing Curse effectively breaks the connection between these elements. But it doesn't completely destroy it. As a result, you continue to exist, but not how you did earlier."

"Er… Some of this stuff is bouncing over my head, but I get the gist. What I want to know is how this is related to me. I mean the curse did break this connection within me, didn't it?"

In response, Aurora just smiled, making Harry mumble some chosen expletives under his breath.

"The connection was indeed broken, but not for you. Do you know Harry that when Voldemort tried to kill you, he was, in fact, successful in creating a horcrux? Part of his soul was residing within you, attached to your own soul, till the moment the curse hit you. When it did, it shattered the connection Voldemort's soul had with your own, in essence destroying the horcrux itself."

"This is great, just absolutely great."

"But this is not the main reason why you are not dead Harry. You are not dead the same reason why Voldemort is not dead."

"You're kidding me!" Harry exclaimed in disbelief. "This isn't true, say it isn't."

"You are alive, Harry, because you have managed to create horcruxes of your own."

"But I didn't kill anyone." He replied feebly. "You have to kill someone to create a horcrux, don't you?"

"That isn't entirely true, Harry. The meaning of horcrux that you know is the corruption of the purest piece of arcane magic that was lost over time. There was a time, when a horcrux was the most sacred thing a person could ever create. It wasn't a symbol for cheating death. It was the symbol of everlasting love."

"Love… how so?"

"A horcrux was the magic involved in a soul bond. You bond your soul to that of your one true love, your soul mate. Your mate dies, and so do you, but the bond remains forever and you move towards the next level of existence. And if that doesn't qualify as a way of conveying your love, then I don't know what would. Over time, the purpose of the horcrux was corrupted by the quest for immortality, thus making it as what you know now."

"That's sad to hear. So, er… does this mean I have some soul mate waiting for me or something?" Harry asked somewhat embarrassed.

"No, Harry, not at all." She replied. Seeing him sigh in relief, she continued, "Well… not just one actually. I think you are aware that seven is the most magical number."

Seeing his horrified face, she couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing. When Harry realised she was making fun of him, he made a sour face and began laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

"You are so gullible, Harry."

"Ha, ha, I'm glad that I make you laugh. But seriously though, there isn't, is there?"

"Don't you remember? You bound your soul yourself?"

"What? When? I don't remember."

"This is all the effort of your sentient magic. You had sworn to yourself that you would fight Voldemort. But deep down, you knew, and so did your magic, that you wouldn't survive as you were then. This is because you weren't ready. And your magic was all the while looking for means to ensure your survival. But then, during your conversation with Voldemort, you provided it with a most suitable method. Do you remember what you said? I'll tell you. You said, 'I will only be gone when there is no one here who loves me'. As I said, you bound your soul yourself."

"Bah! I knew I shouldn't have said that."

"What you have created isn't exactly a horcrux. It is more suitable to term it as an anchor. Your soul is anchored to the people that truly love you, except one anomaly for balance, of course. You, in your current state, are just an echo that was created by your magic to fulfil your last wish. You wanted to meet your parents, and well, here you are."

"Didn't get to meet Sirius now, did I?"

"No, you didn't. But your deepest desire has always been to meet your parents. And now, it has been satiated. But that's not the crux of the matter. You really don't want to go back Harry? Look deep down inside your heart and tell me you don't. And if you say so, then I won't trouble you any longer."

"Can't I be selfish sometime? Am I wrong in not giving up something that I've been waiting for my whole life? Do I not have a choice?"

"You are not wrong, Harry. Part of the reason why you are the person who you really are is because you are always ready to give up what you have so that others can be happy. You may call it your _saving-people thing_, but it doesn't change who you are. Besides, you did have a choice. The fact is that you have already made the choice. You are here to understand why you have made it. Do you remember your conversation with Firenze? Your choice would determine the future, and also if others would have a future."

Harry pondered over this for a long time. This was what Firenze had meant that day, that he would have a choice to fight, or to stay away from it. He had thought that his choice had ended after his apparent death. But in fact, the choice was whether he would be back to fight after his death. He now understood the difference between knowing the path, and walking the path.

He understood why Firenze had said he couldn't _see_ if they would meet again. _Everything depends on the choices we make_. He knew that, on a subconscious level, he, or rather his magic, had already made the choice. And now was the time to fulfil it.

"Can I really defeat Voldemort?" He asked finally.

"Of course you can. You do have _'the power the dark lord knows not'_."

"You mean _love_?" He asked, still having some doubts.

"Yes Harry, love. Do not underestimate it. Remember that you were able to create anchors only because of your ability to love. Even your mother was able to save you because she loved you due to which she sacrificed her life for you. And therefore, you can defeat him. In the eye of the storm, you'll be a lonely dove. But you are a survivor, Harry. You have always been one. And you will continue to survive as long as you have the power of love. With love, your chance of winning goes from none to slim. And believe me – slim is a lot more than none."

"Okay. So, where do we go from here?"

"We go wherever our choices lead us." Harry realised that this conversation with Aurora was similar to the ones he was used to having with Albus Dumbledore.

"You already knew I was going to cave in."

"No, I didn't. But I had hope."

"What about my parents?"

"They will continue their existence, albeit without you."

"Is there some way that I could be with them?"

"They will always be with you, Harry. The ones who love us never truly leave us. You can always find them, in your heart."

_Yeah, she's like Dumbledore through and through,_ he thought. _Or maybe, Dumbledore is like her_.

"Your parents have already been told about your decision. Ready?" She asked getting up.

"Yeah, let's go before I change my mind."

She waved her hand and opened up another door to lead them directly in their living room. As soon as he entered he was drawn into another bear hug by his mother, while his father as always enveloped both of them. He pulled away slightly and looked into his parents eyes. He did not want to leave them, but he understood that this was what was needed of him. And he would do anything that he could to defeat Voldemort. He just hoped his parents would understand.

"I'm leaving." He said shortly.

"We know, son." His father replied.

"We understand what you have to do, Harry." His mother continued. "We will support whatever decision you'd take. And we don't blame you one bit. Just remember that we will love you forever. We are, and will always, be very proud of you."

"Thank you." He replied in a heartfelt manner.

His parents' love and support meant everything to him. And now that he had it, he realised he had everything that he ever wanted. He then turned back to Aurora and was surprised to see _pseudo Fudge_ standing beside her. He looked a nervous wreck and was wringing his hands repeatedly.

"I'd like to apologise for my earlier behaviour." He said finally. "It was all Aurora's fault. I swear." He continued with a little more confidence. "She wanted me to go all Fudge on you."

Harry looked over to see Aurora trying to stifle her giggles and realised that _pseudo Fudge_ was indeed telling the truth. He stared at him for a few seconds, making him squirm even more.

"Well, no harm done." Harry replied finally and shook hands with him. "But why exactly do the drama?"

"It was to let you see what you can do, and to see if you still had it in you to go against the rules. Hector here," Aurora said, indicating _pseudo Fudge_ "is quite an actor. We decided he was the best man for the job. We just didn't know things could get so out of control."

Hector just grumbled under his breath about the unfairness of his situation.

"Ready to go, Harry?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah, but how do we get there? I mean, I don't exactly know how I got here."

"Just close your eyes and I'll take care of everything."

Harry gave one last smile to his parents and closed his eyes. He felt two fingers being pressed on both of his temples and felt a slight gust of wind surrounding him. He then felt his feet leave the ground and had a sensation similar to floating or being weightless. There was a sudden white flash that assaulted his eyes even though they were closed. Then just as suddenly it had started, it stopped and he felt weight returning to his body.

"You can open your eyes now." Aurora said after a couple of seconds.

Harry opened his eyes and after adjusting them to the light, saw that they both were, in fact, floating in a thick fog. At least Harry thought they were floating. He could not feel the ground beneath his feet.

"Where are we?" He asked. "And why is there all this fog?"

"We are still travelling between the realms, and hence the fog. We are near, what people call, the _Bermuda Triangle_. It is the most magical place on the entire Earth."

"So that's why all those planes and ships keep on disappearing? The magic causes the electronic equipment to stop functioning."

"Yes, the Bermuda Triangle is a highly restricted area. Very few people even know of its existence. The magical governments know, of course. But it is placed under the strongest of wards. Being an echo, it is easy for you to bypass these wards, but only because they know you are coming and have granted you access. If you don't have the clearance, it would be very foolish of anyone to try and enter."

"But what's all this secrecy for?"

"This is the largest centre on the earth dedicated to the study of magic. The centre will make any of the Department of Mysteries look like child's play."

"Oh! And what about the people who enter here? The ships, the planes, etc…"

"Those who survive get their memories modified and are sent back."

"You sound like very few of them survive."

"Not many are able to survive. Since the beginning, muggles have been warned not to enter this restricted area. Well, you know about how curiosity killed the cat, don't you? Their curiosity and ignoring the warning are the main reasons. At least they have lessened in recent years."

Harry fell silent after that. There was nothing that can be done if you do not heed the warnings.

"What's the date?" He asked suddenly. He realised that he had spent a lot of time with his parents and Voldemort could have almost destroyed everything in that time.

"It's the same day that you had your confrontation with Voldemort, although it's close to midnight. Time is another thing that is relative when you are no longer alive."

"Cool." He said feeling a little relieved.

"We are here." She announced after another minute.

Indeed, Harry saw that the fog was slowly thinning. When it cleared, he saw they were in a large circular room. In the centre on the room, a large ritual circle had been drawn on the floor with intricate runic patterns carved inside it. The whole setup was giving off a reddish glow with the runes sparkling with almost a dark scarlet hue. Just above the ritual circle, a body was floating in the air. It was completely bare and in fact looked more like a blob of skin and bones. It didn't even have a single hair on it.

"Your new body," Aurora said floating beside him. For a moment he had almost forgotten that he was not alone.

"Doesn't look like me." Harry said doubtfully. "What happened to the old one?"

"It was destroyed with the Dome of Vengeance. Don't worry, this is just a shell. Your magic will adapt to it and make it look like you."

"So, now, er… how do I enter this, um… my body?"

"Just feel for it. Let your magic guide you. Currently you are just an echo. To live, you must have a shell. Your magic will feel it and you will feel yourself settle in your new body."

"Er… okay, is there no one here?"

"The people in charge are waiting outside. Once they know you have entered your new body and are alive once again, they will come and help you. Is there a problem?"

"No, not at all, just making sure I don't fall down, crack my head and die again."

"You won't die Harry. And rest assured that if you do, I will get you back here and make sure to have some cushions on the floor next time."

"Thanks." Harry replied and stuck his tongue out at her and was replied with another smile.

He closed his eyes and thought about his magic. As if answering his call, he heard a soft humming sound. He tried to convey that he needed to get himself inside the body and was answered with another soft hum. He suddenly found something tug at his navel and felt that his effort had been a success.

He opened his eyes and smiled trying to convey his success to Aurora. He opened his mouth to say something but felt his vision blurring a little. He shook his head, but instead felt something pounding in his head. He made another extreme effort and finally managed to say something.

"I think I succeeded." He said slowly. "I won't be seeing you again, will I?"

Aurora just shook her head in the negative and waved a goodbye at him just as she began to fade away.

"Wait," Harry called out with another effort as darkness began to surround his vision. "Who are you really?" He still didn't know who she really was.

Just as his vision went completely dark, he heard her voice in his last conscious moments.

"Me? You know me, Harry. I am _Fate_."

---------------

It was an experience Harry had had many times in his short life. In fact, he was now so used to it that he rarely gave it a second thought when he felt the crisp linen sheets of a comfortable bed spread out underneath him. He was no stranger to the hospital wing at Hogwarts. He often wondered why he didn't have a bed booked especially for him in the hospital wing. In his opinion, he frequented the hospital wing far too often than the regular lot.

He felt very groggy, his eyes felt heavy and his whole body felt as if it was made out of lead. _New body, still has work to do,_ a stray thought entered his mind. The words were barely registered in his brain as he was feeling highly disoriented. He wanted to lie on the comfortable bed forever. But then the stray thought did indeed register itself in his mind like a gong striking in his ears and his eyes flew open in panic.

Many thoughts started running in his now alert mind. _New body! Holy shit!_ He wondered if he had successfully managed to enter the body. _Oh Merlin! What if something went wrong?_

It was as if someone noticed him panicking and a face came into view. It was an elderly woman, a healer perhaps, who greatly resembled his school nurse, Madam Pomfrey. She smiled at him causing him to relax slightly. It was a proven theory that if the healer is smiling at you, then you are probably completely safe and out of the woods, unless of course you are going to die in the next few minutes in which case the smile is just to make you feel better.

"Hello Mr. Potter. Are we awake then?" She asked in a soft melodious voice.

He tried to speak but found his throat to be very dry, so instead settled on nodding. She drew a green vial from the bedside stand and poured a slightly sour liquid in his mouth, making him feel better in a couple of minutes. His body also felt relatively normal and just as easy to move. He slowly got up and shook his head to clear the cobwebs from his brain. He was alive once again, of that he was sure. All that remained uncertain was a way by which he could finally _vanquish_ Voldemort once and for all.

"The bathroom is through there." The healer said pointing to a door to one side of the room. "My name is Helena Carter. Just call me if you need anything. The dining room is the third one down the corridor."

"Thanks, Mrs. Carter." Harry replied. He stood up, stretched his limbs and then set off towards the bathroom.

_It feels a little weird_, he thought about his new body. It didn't feel any different from his old one. There was just the fact that he now had a completely different body than the one with which he was born. _Two more similarities between me and Voldemort, first the horcruxes and now a new body_, he thought. But it didn't affect him that much. He knew he now had one more chance to get rid of the Dark Lord and wanted to be ready when the time came, for then, it wouldn't matter how many similarities they both had, but rather who would walk away alive from the final battle.

He stood in front of the full length mirror and stripped down completely. One thing that immediately came to his notice was that he wasn't wearing any glasses and yet could see quite clearly. His emerald green eyes stared unblinkingly back at him he briefly wondered how he did not feel his glasses when he woke up. This surprised him more because even when he was _dead_, he needed his glasses to see clearly. And with his perfect vision, he could now see the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead quite clearly.

_Perks of a new body perhaps_, he reasoned with a grin. Well, he surely wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, or eyes, or whatever. He was just glad that the second Killing Curse didn't leave another scar.

Almost everything else was the way it was before. His hair was back once again to its former glory, meaning it resembled a bird's nest quite successfully. He thought his height had increased by an inch or two. His body also felt a little more muscled than the one he remembered. He already had some from playing Quidditch, but these were just a touch more than earlier, not bulky of course, but just there to make sure he wasn't looking skinny anymore.

His fingers, he was sure, were longer than they had been previously, a minor change nonetheless to which he paid little attention. He was very relieved to see _Harry Junior_ and his _nutty friends_ the same as they were before.

Half an hour later, he exited the private room set up for him in a set of nice clean clothes that were laid out for him and made his way towards the dining room. As soon as he entered, he was served an enormous breakfast by Mrs. Carter that he was sure would make Mrs. Weasley very proud. Harry was certain these two women would get along very well.

When he was finished, two people entered the room carrying some parchment and settled in front of him. As far as Harry could tell, they were brothers, not twins, but they had a similar facial and body structure. Both were about six feet high, middle aged and had well built athletic figures.

"Mr. Potter," one of them began, "my name is Jason Carter and this is my brother Alexander. We are the Chief Administrative Officers for the Magical Research facility. We will be your hosts for the next few days until you are ready to return. We have been advised to train you in certain fields that will help you perform better now that you know that your magic is sentient. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask."

"How long was I out Mr. Carter? Call me Harry." Harry asked thinking that they were sons of Mrs. Carter judging by their names.

"You were unconscious for approximately seven hours. It was necessary for you to adapt to your new body. And please, call me Jason."

"And you can call me Alex." Alexander cut in.

"That's fine. So how long will I have to be here? The sooner that I'm able to return, the better it'll be for everyone."

"Yes, we are aware of that." Alex said. "Your training period would actually depend on how fast you are able to adapt to the changes. But we reckon we can cut it down to three to four weeks with the help of a Time Dilation Field."

"What is a Time Dilation Field?"

"It is one of our recent inventions. A Time Dilation Field, or TDF for short, is a means of speeding up time in a particular area over which it is cast. It is a very advanced piece of magic, usually requiring at least 5 wizards to cast it successfully. Inside the field area, time moves at a speed about four times faster than that outside the field. Four times is the magical limit that a human body can adjust to without problems. Of course, since you are inside it, you do not notice the difference. It seems as normal as always. The days, the hours, the minutes and the seconds – all are similar. Except that, we have developed magically simulated motions of the sun, moon, stars, etc. otherwise, you would have been stuck with sunlight and darkness both for two consecutive days." Jason explained.

"And that means, by our estimation, you will be ready to return at most by the end of this month." Alex continued.

"Why are you helping to train me? Not that I don't appreciate it, but I want to know the reason."

"Your case is unique Harry, simply because this is the first time such a phenomenon has occurred. We admit that we want to study it a bit. Although, we assure you that we won't treat you like a lab rat. We respect your privacy and you won't have any troubles from us."

"Alright then, when do we start?"

"The TDF is being setup as we speak. We have another three hours or so before it will be ready. Till then, I think we should go through some plans regarding what we have to accomplish in the coming period." Jason said.

"First of all," Alex continued, "we don't think you should let anyone except for a few close allies know that you have indeed returned. It will give you a tactical advantage. And since you will need to hide your true identity, one of the first things we will cover will be disguising yourself. Your metamorphmagus ability will come in handy for this purpose."

"I didn't know I was a metamorphmagus." Harry replied a little confused.

"You were indeed not born as a metamorphmagus, Harry. Your ability was developed by your magic because of your will to appear normal, or rather as inconspicuous as possible. You started showing the ability quite early in your life when you grew your hair every time you had a haircut. But unfortunately it was limited to the hair only. While you were unconscious, we were able to alter it with a little help from your magic itself so that you now have the complete ability. We were also able to rectify the defect in your vision so now even that won't hinder you in any way."

"Thanks for that. And how do you know so much about me?"

"Don't mention it. And as a matter of fact, we know everything that we need to know about you in order to help you achieve your goal. Also, it is essential that you learn Occlumency in order to protect your secrets. Legilimency will also come in handy when you want to discover things that your enemies would like to hide from you."

Harry just nodded while listening to everything that was being said. He knew the more he learned, the better prepared he would be to defend himself.

"We will also go through some battle scenario training that will hone your battle tactics – stuff like what to do, what not to do and when or when not to do it. You will also be taught some other useful stuff like basic healing, some practical curses, stealth, tracking and camouflage, etc. In short, you will learn everything you will ever need in order to stay alive and kick some ass." Jason expanded.

"And all this will be completed within four months?" Harry asked.

"You bet! We even think you'll have some time to spare after you are done with you."

"Are you both going to train me then?"

"We have the pleasure of being your regular trainers. Others will be involved as and when they may be needed. Healing will be taught by our mother. I believe you have already met her."

"Yeah, she reminds me of my school nurse."

"The other important aspect you will be taught is personality development. You need to make sure people believe that you are the real deal and not some imposter. This training, along with your disguise and camouflage techniques, will ensure that no one doubts your identity." Alex finished with a flourish.

"Okay then, I'll look forward to get trained and then make sure to turn the Death Eaters life into a living hell."

"That's the spirit young man. Your enthusiasm will make sure we give you the best we can."

---------------

The rest of the morning was spent by the two instructors explaining to Harry what actually happened at the magical research facility. They could not tell everything since they were bound by secrecy laws, but still they did provide him with a general overview.

As Aurora, _or Fate_, had said, the facility was indeed the largest on the Earth. There were four other smaller facilities round the globe, but they would not tell him where they were located. Even Harry was now bound by the secrecy laws and wouldn't be able to tell anyone else that this facility was located within the Bermuda Triangle. It was a slight variation of the Fidelius Charm and could only be used if the concentration of magic was very high. It was the charm that was cast on most magical schools so that they could be hidden from unwanted people and access could be limited to those who either studied or worked there or had valid reasons for a visit.

Over the years the facility had become some sort of a community where people lived and worked on different aspects of magic. There was also a general populace that was not involved in research, but rather the well being of the community. Each and every one who worked on magical research was a specialist and quite gifted in their respective fields. It was the basic criteria for anyone who wished to work here – you had to be the best among the best. And though they had a working relationship with each other, they also enjoyed the social aspect that a normal community offered. Many of them had even started families after they had started working here.

The facility had all the required basic amenities – schools, hospitals and an effective administration. Harry was surprised to learn that both Jason and Alex were born and brought up here. It was true they visited the outside world, their relatives, and even went on holidays. But from their point of view, it was no different a life than what other people in the world lived.

Harry was so enthralled after learning so much about the facility that he wished even he could turn up here after finishing up with Voldemort. At least, he knew for a fact that he would be living among real intelligent people instead of the mindless sheep whose only purpose in their futile life was to point and gawk at his forehead or to try and ostracise him from their lives blaming him for all that is going on. Of course he realised that his title as the _Boy-Who-Lived_ now had an entirely truer but different meaning.

_Yes, life here would be so much peaceful_, he mused longingly.

---------------

After an early lunch, Harry was whisked away with the help of a portkey directly where the TDF had been set up. He learnt that it was a secluded area far away from the general population. He could see a dark violet boundary line surrounding a moderate looking house. The boundary was glowing slightly and Harry could literally feel the amount of magic that had been used in its creation. He had a feeling of vertigo as soon as he entered the boundary and was thankful that he had had a rather light meal. Jason explained that the dizziness was because the body took a little time to adjust to the enormous change in the time dimension.

That afternoon, Harry's training began in earnest. Alex advised that they should start working on Occlumency first, because it would take longer to learn and also because Legilimency could only be learnt after being thorough with the former mind art. Jason in the meanwhile had gone back to complete some tasks and would return later.

"You should remember one basic thing when it comes to Occlumency. It is your mind that you are shielding from an outside attack. As a result, you own it and are its sole master. Your will must be strong enough to repel the attack. The skill is similar to defending against the Imperius Curse. It is a battle of the wills and the stronger always comes out on top. Your mind implies you have complete control over it and others don't have the right to enter it. But your control must be strong, as must be your will to defend, or the attack will be successful. Now get ready, I am going to enter your mind."

And before Harry could say another word, he clearly felt Alex's presence inside his mind going through his memories. He was in the cave alongside Dumbledore and forcibly feeding him the potion. He was airborne on his broom playing Quidditch as a feeling of exhilaration flowed through his body. He was sitting in Dumbledore's office going over the memories regarding Voldemort's rise to power. The next instance, he had cursed Malfoy so badly that the blood was flowing freely from his chest. He could see himself sitting with his friends and shedding tears at Dumbledore's funeral. And then just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped leaving him breathing very heavily.

What surprised him more was that even though he had been given a warning, the attack was very sudden as Alex had not used a wand and neither barked out the incantation as Snape used to do. Instead, he had continued to stare in his eyes and gained access without any problem. Harry realised that he may have to work on this very hard if he had any chance of success.

"Tell me why I succeeded in entering your mind, Harry."

"I was unprepared, I guess. I mean you didn't even use a wand or say the spell. One moment you are warning me and the next you are in my head."

"Yes, what you must realise is that the attacker won't warn you he is going to attack. And though this may seem a little harsh, it will only help you in the long run. You require eye contact for performing Legilimency, a wand is not necessary. And don't worry about clearing your mind and all that jazz. You should know by now that in your case, brute force works better than any other method."

"That reminds me, I'll need a wand. I don't even know what happened to my old one."

"Don't worry about it. Jason is going to get you one. It may not be perfect, but it will have to do. You'll have to retrieve your old wand when you return. Now remember what I've said, you have control of your mind. You possess the will to prevent me from gaining entrance. Now get ready."

---------------

Harry was finally able to expel Alex from his mind on the fifth try, but only after a couple of memories had been played out. Though Harry did not feel it, Alex insisted that it was decent progress on the first day. He just warned to try and stop anyone from entering instead of expelling them after they had already entered. Prevention is better than cure, he said as his mother often insisted. He also gave Harry a pleasant surprise by informing that his link with Voldemort, which was so strong due to the soul fragment, was now destroyed. As a result, Harry would now be free of visions from Voldemort.

They took a short break and had another session wherein Harry managed to expel him on the second try. He was just frustrated that he could not stop him from entering. After freshening up, they had a light snack, courtesy of the house elves, and then started working on his metamorphmagus skills. Though Alex wasn't a metamorphmagus himself, he knew the general theory and instructed Harry on the fundamentals of human anatomy. He warned Harry not to try and change the internal organs as that could have disastrous consequences.

Harry spent the next half hour in front of a mirror trying to hide his scar but was met with no success. He then tried to make his hair long and violet but was instead successful in lengthening only a select few while some others did change their colour to violet. He was slightly disappointed but was reminded by Alex to take it one thing at a time. The fact that he had managed to do something was itself a huge accomplishment. His new hairstyle was also successful in making Alex fall to the floor clutching his sides and laughing heartily.

He asked Alex why he wasn't able to hide his scar and whether it was due to the fact that it was a curse scar. Alex replied that he could eventually hide it but it would require a little more practice. He also reminded that the scar was now curse free as Voldemort's soul fragment within him was now destroyed, but the scar would remain as his magic accepted it as a part of his body. He also said that the hair was easily done because he had already done it and his magic was very familiar with it. Overall Harry was very glad that he indeed possessed the metamorphmagus talent as he knew it could come in handy.

---------------

Almost a month had passed in the TDF since Harry had started training. Till now it was only the Carters who were training him. His day began with a light physical exercise that would ensure that he would get more and more comfortable with his new body and remain athletic. While Alex took care of his Occlumency and metamorphmagus skills, Jason had started teaching him some curses that would make sure his enemies wouldn't wake up for a long time when those babies hit them. He also promised that they would cover the more lethal stuff later.

He was also started on basic healing with Mrs. Carter, which Harry found out to be the most difficult spells he had ever learnt. She had been able to procure a few healer training dummies but Harry had managed to cure only a few minor cuts and bruises. Of course, he was improving rather fast for she had threatened that he would have to heal himself after training if he couldn't even get the basic curses right.

One important thing that Harry noticed was his magic seemed more eager to flow out than ever before. He often found spells and curses easier to accomplish than he had before. He even had little trouble performing new spells, which he could master in two to three days. Jason explained that due to the sentience of magic, Harry did not need to shout out the incantations or even wave the wand in a particular pattern. So long as he knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish, his magic would make sure to get it done.

Even his metamorphmagus training was coming along nicely. He could now alter his appearance at will, but the problem was that he had difficulty in maintaining a particular form. The longest he had maintained a form was half an hour. Alex had told him that his skill would improve with practice. His progress in Occlumency was almost negligible. He had been able to stop Alex a few times now, but even then he could not hold him outside. Alex would eventually manage to slip inside, leaving him breathing heavily. And once again, Alex insisted that he was progressing a bit faster than they had estimated, but Harry was having some serious doubts about that.

---------------

The second month ended in a similar fashion to the first, but Harry now felt he was making some decent progress. He was able to master most of the basic healing spells, partly to remain safe from his own healing. His metamorphmagus skills had improved and he could now hold his form for almost half a day. Jason still had him training on nonlethal curses but had also started teaching him stealth and camouflage. The most surprising thing was that Harry was now able to hold off Alex's intrusions with relative ease. He was now getting a little confident in his Occlumency which led Alex to announce a major change in plans.

"Now that you have mastered the easier part," Alex said, "we'll now be getting on with the difficult part."

"We're starting on Legilimency already?"

"Of course not, it'll take another month or so. Once you have mastered Occlumency, Legilimency is a piece of cake."

"So what is the difficult part then?"

"What you have mastered till now is known as Defensive Occlumency. We'll now begin with Diversionary Occlumency."

"Huh?"

"Eloquent as always, aren't you Harry? We'll have to work on that. But back to the topic of discussion, you now know how to defend your mind from an attack. I'll now teach you how to _not defend your mind completely_ from the attack. This, in simple terms, means you are not protecting your entire mind, but are allowing some bits and pieces to be seen."

"You mean like selective defence?"

"That is correct. When you feel that someone is trying to discover your thoughts and you don't want them to know that you are trained in Occlumency, you'll have to employ diversionary tactics. You should be able to make them feel as if you are completely defenceless, but also be able to show them some selective memories that may not be useful to them. I'll also teach you to forge memories that will look so genuine that no one will be able to find fault with them."

"Memories can be forged?" Harry asked in shock.

"Of course they can. Obliviators do it all the time. Even you have seen Slughorn doing it, though he didn't manage to tamper with it successfully. That's the main reason why they are not used as evidence in courts. Now here's how you do it…"

---------------

It was a pleasant surprise to both Harry and Alex that Harry got the hang of Diversionary Occlumency quite easily. He had to work on it a little but managed to accomplish it in just a couple of weeks. He was also able to forge some memories with relative ease. Though the duration was still short, Harry knew he would be improving on it. He was also now able to hold his new form for a whole day and even while working on his other training. Soon they had begun working on Legilimency. It was similar to Occlumency in a way that even in this, a person need to overcome the other persons will. The only important factor on which they had to work was how to do it subtly so that it wouldn't be detected.

Jason had started showing him some of the lethal stuff now along with ways to counter and shield against those. He explained that while the basic shield _'Protego'_ could hold off most of the intermediate level curses, the advanced shields would last a lot longer and hold off majority of the powerful and lethal curses. He also started teaching some advanced spells like the ones for making portkeys or tracking a person's movements and even a few basic wards.

---------------

By the end of the third month, both Alex and Jason had finished with Harry's training and introduced him to a new trainer who would be taking charge of him for the rest of the time. His name was Jonathan Wilde and he would be teaching Harry personality development. He was an old man, at least a century old and almost six and a half feet tall. He was a thin, bald man with kind eyes and a wrinkled face, but Harry could tell he was very wise.

"I have been studying you for the past three months, Mr. Potter," he said, "you and your magic. And what I can see is most curious indeed. Do you know that due to your soul being anchored to six others, your magic is in fact being divided among them? What you can practically draw on is only a seventh part of what you actually possess."

"What?" Harry asked startled. "I can only use a seventh part?"

"Don't be frightened young friend. Your magic is only serving you. The division is so that it can protect them. As long as they are safe, your anchors are safe."

Harry heaved an enormous sigh of relief.

"I will inform you of the remaining trivialities later. What we need now is ten days of your time. In ten days, I will teach you to be who you, in fact, are not. I will teach you to create personalities, copy characteristics of others, so you can take their place and other such useful arts. You will be proficient in measuring a person in a few seconds. When you hear them speak, and learn their mannerisms, you could impersonate any person in this world in a manner that no one will doubt. Some of the things I'll teach will appear useless, but which are in fact not so. I am sure that by the end, you will start calling me _Mr. Wild_ instead of Mr. Wilde. Now, let us begin…"

---------------

Mr. Wilde's words had in fact come true and Harry had begun to call him Mr. Wild or the _'Wild-man'_ instead, though he respected the man for his wisdom. He often gave some advice, which he termed as 'pearls of wisdom', to use when a specific situation arose. He even taught Harry how words could be used as weapons to mentally destabilise an opponent. He insisted that his most profound advice was – you should not just step in front of an opponent and curse him; you have to say something profound to distract him first. Harry had often seen Dumbledore use this tactic.

The man had taught him everything – from sneering like Snape to strutting like Malfoy. True to his word, he had trained Harry to imitate any one that he saw. Compiled with his metamorphmagus ability, he could now become anyone in this world. On the last day, he was asked to imitate Snape as a test. Harry was initially horrified to change to a Snape look alike. But _Wild-man_ pointed out that he would have to do it sometime or the other, in the future, and most probably he would have to imitate his enemies. In the end, Harry did a fantastic imitation of Snape that even Alex and Jason applauded.

The old man also gave Harry a gift on the final day, a gauntlet for his left hand, which was made of light golden thread.

"It was developed here by the Research Division, especially considering your sentient magic. The gauntlet can be used as a shield against most curses, provided you use it with that intent in your mind. Your magic would then act on the intent and power the gauntlet so as to act as a shield."

Harry knew it would certainly be useful when he wanted to go on the offensive and did not want to waste time shielding against curses.

"Thank you, sir. This is indeed very useful." Harry said with gratitude.

"Now, I believe we have one other matter left to discuss – your anchors, to be precise. I'll inform you what we have learnt so far. Your soul, as you know, is anchored to six other individuals besides you, you being the seventh. We believe you will know who exactly your anchor is as your magic will pick it out, but we are not exactly sure how or when it will happen. Out of the six, we have been able to determine the identities of two of them. You will be little surprised to know that one of them is the Dark Lord himself."

"Voldemort is my anchor? How's that possible?"

"I believe that your magic felt the need for an anchor that would surely remain undamaged. And judging by the current scenario as well as your equation with him, the Dark Lord would indeed be the safest bet."

"Hmm… that makes sense, I guess." Harry replied thoughtfully. He would exist as long as Voldemort would exist. "So who is the second one?"

"The second anchor is your godfather, Sirius Black."

The statement was enough to drain the colour from Harry's face. He couldn't believe the old man had said his second anchor was his long dead godfather. _But what if he isn't really dead?_ A voice in the back of his mind said. Harry knew better than to get his hopes up, but he couldn't help but ask for an explanation.

"Si-Sirius… how is that possible?" Even to him his voice sounded so small that he wondered if Mr. Wilde even heard it. "He fell through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries. Everyone told me he's dead. He is dead, isn't he?" He dreaded the answer, but the small spark of hope still remained.

"Er… you have to understand that…"

The hesitation was enough for the small spark to turn into a raging inferno.

"He's alive? Oh Merlin, he's alive!" Harry exclaimed with joy.

"Not exactly, Mr. Potter. Not exactly…" Wilde replied sadly.

**Author's Notes:**

There you go, another chapter done. Like it? Don't like it? Tell me so.

You may love it or you may hate it, but I'll bet you didn't see that coming.

Please Read and Review. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

**Some answers:**

1. I didn't bring back James and Lily – not much room in the story for them. And I'm not that much a fan of _voices in the head_.

2. The Love Potion in also a part of the main plot, and not just a means to split up Remus and Tonks.

3. The government wasn't that interested in Harry's cash, although that would have been welcome. We haven't heard about taxes in the magical world – makes me wonder how the Weasleys would survive, or even if they have to pay tax. The main intention of the government was to control **Harry**.

4. Harry's OOC mainly because he is rather in shock and he wants to try something that he has seen Dumbledore do quite successfully. I also wanted Harry to be a little selfish, and not _holier than thou_ as always.

5. We have seen Voldemort's friendly nature in GoF. He can be quite a charmer when he wants it to be. Also, I wanted to portray a Voldemort who is rather over confident now that Dumbledore is dead.

6. About the title, I think NGA is rather appropriate. But if you can suggest a better one after reading this chapter, I'll consider changing it.

7. To those reviewers who pointed about Harry walking on his parents… well I'll say I'm not the only one. I surely empathise with anyone who has had that experience.

8. HONKS will be coming up soon.


	8. Identities Gained and the Return Home

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Not my disclaimer either. In simple words, YOU CAN'T SUE ME.

**Spoilers:** PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, QTTA, FB.

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance.

**Rating:** M – For MATURE language and themes.

**Author's Notes:** **Q's and A's for Dummies:**

**Q)** Why are you making it Super Harry?

**A)** I'd like to assure you that Harry is powerful, but this isn't going to be Super Harry. He will have lots of help and he will definitely need it.

**Q)** Your chapters are boring, I just skimmed through them.

**A)** Well, you can't have Harry fighting in each chapter. Some of them have to be filler ones so as to form a base.

**Q)** What's the difference between a Horcrux and an Anchor?

**A)** An Anchor is basically what a Horcrux initially was, before its purpose got corrupted. A horcrux was the magic involved in a soul bond. Normally, your soul is anchored in your own body. In the case of a soul bond, the anchors are interchanged to that of your soul mate. Over time, the magic was corrupted in the quest for immortality and as a result, wizards then tried to anchor their souls in other objects. But for this to succeed, they had to split their souls since the original purpose was not resolved.

**Q)** Has Harry split his soul? Is this same as what Voldemort has done?

**A)** No, Harry has not split his soul. He has his soul in one piece and within himself. He just managed to anchor it into seven different entities, one of which is his own body. This is completely different that what Voldemort has done.

**Q)** Wouldn't Harry have a mental connection with those that are his anchors?

**A)** No. This is because he just has an anchor, not a part of his soul. Harry had a connection with Voldemort because he had a piece of Voldemort's soul within him. With his _death_, the piece was destroyed along with the connection.

**Q)** Why is Voldemort a better anchor than Hogwarts? How is there balance between love and hate?

**A)** Hogwarts is a castle, and it can be destroyed. With its destruction, the anchor will be lost. According to the prophecy, Voldemort can only be vanquished by Harry. Hence, Voldemort is the best of the anchors. Even if the others are lost, he would still exist. The balance was not between love and hate. It was between love and existence. Six anchors of love, except Harry, could be easily destroyed, but if one of them was specifically made for the purpose of existence, it would remain intact.

**Q)** Does Voldemort lose power when a horcrux is destroyed?

**A)** No, he doesn't. Consider it like this – Voldemort split his soul to create horcruxes. Due to the bastardisation involved, his magic is not involved in keeping them safe. He has to use external safeguards, inferi for example. In Harry's case, a part of his magic is there to guard the anchors because his soul is not split. The purpose is pure and so his magic is involved. Also, Voldemort is much more powerful than Dumbledore. He didn't challenge for a duel as he wasn't sure what Dumbledore was capable of. Dumbledore always kept his cards close to the vest. Voldemort is powerful, but Dumbledore was technically advanced as knowledge is power.

**Q)** What's with Harry acting OOC like Dumbledore?

**A)** Sometimes, the death of a close one can cause all sorts of changes in a person. It's a psychologically proven fact. In Harry's case, he is trying to come to grips with the situation. He knows that shouting all the time accomplishes nothing. Remember the time in HBP where he hasn't succeeded in getting the memory from Slughorn. Seeing Dumbledore disappointed in him had hurt him more that if he had been angry or had raised his voice. This enough leads us to believe that Harry is growing up. And who better to emulate than Dumbledore himself. Besides, I hate those stories where Harry starts shouting towards Dumbledore and Molly. Shouting indicates immaturity, nothing else.

**Q)** What's with the Dementor's Kiss and the Killing curse?

**A)** The Curse and the Kiss both destroy the soul's connection with the body. For the other entities to operate, the soul must be present. The soul is the essence of a person and without it, a person does not exist.

**Q)** What's the shit about death and afterlife? I don't believe it.

**A)** I don't ask you to believe it. I've never made any reference to God. And I haven't forced you to read. There are many other stories worth reading than the trash I write. Sorry to have disappointed you.

**Q)** The idea of Harry studying and training some UBER-MEGA-ULTRA magic in Avalon/Afterlife/Demon realms has been use so much, that sometimes I get a feeling that you guys are just copying each other with no shame – **Ksai**.

**A)** After confessing that you skipped through the chapter, you made this statement. Well, if you had read it, you wouldn't have said so. Harry had some of the most basic of training, not in Avalon or whatever but on earth that we live on – just in a different place. I hope you find a better story to read.

**Q)** The TDF just happened to be created when Harry needed it. What's the catch?

**A)** Well, I think I should have elaborated on that. The recentness of the TDF is not in reference to time, but rather to the number of things they have invented. For example, suppose they invented 100 things, then the TDF would be in the range 90 to 100. But that may have happened 50 years ago. So it is recent, but still quite old. And you should consider that if timer turners exist, then a TDF could also exit. Of course, you can still say that I wanted to rush through the training. I won't completely disagree, but still say that Harry, being who he is, doesn't require years of training. The most basic training I gave him within a time of 4 months. I would say that would be enough in both training as well as time.

**Q)** Good work with the training, short and sweet.

**A)** I really hate stories where training takes about 20 chapters of the story and the author writes something like – Harry woke up, he brushed his teeth, he went to the bathroom and fantasized about some female. Then he had a run for ten miles, did weight lifting… you get the point. I mean that stuff about everyday's schedule gets hugely boring. Did I forget to mention that the year is completed within the next 10 chapters?

**Q)** Why is Harry a metamorphmagus? It's so cliché. –**Drajjen**.

**A)** I understand that it is cliché. What most authors use is for is to bring Harry and Tonks together so that Tonks can train Harry and they fall in love, copulate, bash Dumbledore and Molly, fight with Ron and Hermione and some similar stuff. But look at it from my point of view. My purpose is entirely different. I've used it because Harry will require it very much in this story. However, I promise I won't make Tonks like a man who doesn't ask her to change herself or she likes Harry because of the same reason. My opinions are very much the same as yours on the hypocrite matter.

**Q)** Do you have a split personality? I swear every A/N I read you change your mind about what you wrote. Think about what you write for a few moments instead of trying to justify plot holes in you're A/Ns. Your story will be better if you do. – **marka.**

**A)** _We_ are happy to announce that you are the very first_**flamer**_ for NGA. _We_ highly resent the remark about _us_ having a split personality. Each of _us_ has only one personality, thank you very much for your concern. The A/Ns are not to justify the plot holes but rather to clarify the questions reviewers ask. _We_ would like to advise you to read the plot carefully before you try to flame in the future as it appears that you are the only person who hasn't understood the plot. Happy flaming! _We and our BBQ are very happy to receive your flame_.

This Q and A session is now over. We'll meet again next time with a new chapter and another session. Stay tuned.

Thanks for all the reviews. Keep on reviewing. Constructive Criticism is always welcome. Flames, just for the sake of it, will be used in my BBQ.

---------------

_**Chapter 7 – Identities Gained and the Return Home**_

"_Si-Sirius… how is that possible?" Even to him his voice sounded so small that he wondered if Mr. Wilde even heard it. "He fell through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries. Everyone told me he's dead. He is dead, isn't he?" He dreaded the answer, but the small spark of hope still remained._

"_Er… you have to understand that…"_

_The hesitation was enough for the small spark to turn into a raging inferno._

"_He's alive? Oh Merlin, he's alive!" Harry exclaimed with joy._

"_Not exactly, Mr. Potter. Not exactly…" Wilde replied sadly._

---------------

Harry really didn't understand what Mr. Wilde had implied by saying that Sirius was one of his anchors and at the same time was _not exactly alive_. As far as Harry was concerned, if Sirius was an anchor, then he would have to be alive. Dead Sirius as an anchor made no sense at all. On the other hand, he knew another important fact – magic rarely made sense and it was futile trying to understand it.

But after seeing it with his own eyes, he reluctantly had to accept it, howsoever absurd it may have seemed that it was in fact the truth. In reality, he could not accept it as the whole concept was completely weird. He felt as if it had been taken out of some science fiction show that Dudley liked to watch. But he had to admit that it showed just how different and versatile magic really was. The depth to which magic would go to accomplish something was truly awe inspiring.

Standing outside the room, looking in it through a wall that had been enchanted to become see through, Harry was slowly coming to terms with the harsh realities of life – once again. He could see Jason, Alex and Sirius talking with each other – at least his eyes showed him that. He understood that it wasn't Sirius, but rather someone else who was sitting there. Passing through the Veil had somehow changed Sirius Black to Nigel Grimm – a wicked play on his erstwhile real name.

According to Mr. Wilde, the intention behind the creation of the Veil had been to construct a portal so as to ease travelling between different places. Somehow, the developers could never accomplish this objective. The Veil failed about 75 percent of the initial tests it was subjected to since its creation in 1253. Since then, numerous attempts had been made by the best of minds to complete the project. None had succeeded till now.

And it wasn't the fact that the experiments failed due to a faulty theoretical model. Each and every calculation, magical equation, rune and power mechanism had been verified, revalidated and crosschecked by everyone and the answer still came out the same. The Veil worked on paper, it just didn't work in reality. Only three working models of the Veil remained in the world today – one each in England, Australia and China. Research went on as usual. But now it was just the new and ambitious ones who took on the mission to accomplish what their predecessors couldn't achieve in all these years. Meanwhile, there were no theories regarding the voices as only a few people heard them. In that case, the Veil was somewhat like a thestral.

Mr. Wilde also informed him about the different experiments that had taken place on the veil. In the first experiment itself, two of the original six creators decided to walk through the Veil. They were never seen again. The remaining continued experimenting with nonhuman subjects obtaining different results. More than half of those items never made it and quite a few of them made it to an altogether different location, some after almost six months. It was during this time that they started to call it the Veil of Death.

It was another couple of years later that they found that the majority of the previous experiments were having a 90 percent success rate. In the next year, the success rate had changed to a 100 percent. Happy with their efforts, the researchers decided to use a human once again, but this time they used one of the criminals instead. The experiment was a success – the subject made it to the other side, but not exactly as he had been previously, or rather who he had been previously.

Further analysis revealed that the person had all of his memories wiped out – no trace of his previous life remained. His mind was as clean as that of a new born baby and none of the methods to return it to its previous state worked. The only positive outcome was he knew that he was an adult and could walk, talk and think like one. He also did not need diapers for that matter. The researchers were highly relieved that they would not have to take care of a forty year old infant.

And this was _exactly_ what had happened with Sirius.

No one understood exactly how or why the change occurred, for all studies on the Veil often yielded unusual results. Eventually the researchers had decided that continuing to study it after so many years would not be worth the effort. But when Sirius had tumbled out through the Veil in Australia, the old files were dug out once again trying to make it work. Alas, nothing could be done. They had tried to revive him, but his mind was a clean slate. So instead, they decided to fill it. They gave him a name, a place to live and a way to earn a living.

And so, Sirius Black, convicted mass murderer, godfather of Harry Potter, former resident of Azkaban and the only prisoner to escape it, became Nigel Grimm, a hit wizard working for the Australian Ministry of Magic.

"So, what do we do now? Why is he here?" Harry asked.

Seeing Sirius looking as good as he had been on his parents' wedding night brought a small smile to his face. Australia was proving good for his health. No traces of the twelve years he had spent in Azkaban could be seen. He wasn't pale and gaunt anymore, but was rather fit and healthy with a good tan. Harry was sure Sirius had a lot of girls dancing around him wanting his company. He was once again coming to accept the fact that Sirius was gone and whoever he was seeing was someone entirely different.

"He is here because you are here and he is your anchor." Mr. Wilde replied. "We will once again try to bring the old Sirius back. But…"

"But I shouldn't get my hopes up, right?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Yes. We are not sure it will work, but the idea has merit. The scholars have always believed that the real person is always trapped beneath the surface. They just couldn't get something to trigger its release. Sirius' case is similar to the ones before him. And that is why we believe he may be alive."

"So what is the trigger?"

"He is your anchor, is he not?" Mr. Wilde asked with a smile.

And then, the whole concept clicked in his mind. Of course, if anything would work as a trigger, Sirius being his anchor would have the highest chance. Also, he didn't have anything to lose that he hadn't lost before. In any case, Harry reckoned that it was worth a try.

"I'll now go and make the preparations for the ritual." Mr. Wilde continued. "You should get inside and talk with him, you have stared at him for long enough. He already knows about the situation and is willing to participate. It would be nice if you were comfortable with each other."

"You would be performing the ritual?"

"Heavens, no, that is beyond me. In fact, none of us here can do it. Rituals like this one are highly complex and the slightest mistake can have very adverse effects. We have to get outside professional help. I know a person who owes me and can do this perfectly. Now shoo, talk with him and don't stall after I go."

With that, Mr. Wilde cancelled the spell on the wall and walked away leaving Harry standing there all alone. Gathering all of his Gryffindor courage, Harry moved forward to meet the man that was once his godfather, but was now a completely different person.

---------------

The conversations stopped and silence fell as soon as the door opened and Harry stepped inside. Closing the door behind him, Harry faced all three of them. He was already familiar with Jason and Alex and their presence and friendly smiles at least were a great relief. He didn't want to know what he had done had he been alone to face him.

"Hello," Harry greeted and was pleased that his voice did not crack a bit. "I'm Harry; Harry Potter."

_It isn't as if I'm greeting my godfather who has been dead in my eyes for more than a year_, he thought sarcastically. _But Mr. Wilde's training is paying off._

"You're just a bit off the mark, I think." Nigel replied with a slight accent.

Harry didn't understand what he had implied but didn't get time to question him.

"You should say – The name's Potter; Harry Potter." Nigel continued with a smile making Harry smile in return. It was good to see that the man had at least a good sense of humour and had declined fate the opportunity to make the situation awkward. "And I believe I should say – The name's Grimm; Nigel Grimm. You can call me Sirius if you like, Mr. Potter. After all, that was who I once was."

"Thanks for that, but I think it wouldn't be fair. I'll call you Nigel if that's alright with you. And please call me Harry."

"Alright then, Harry it is." He agreed sitting down as Harry joined the group. "So back from the dead, eh? I've been hearing all about you and your fight with the Dark Lord since I was out in the open, so to speak. I know people expect great things from you, but this is the mother and father of everything. Somehow, a revenant was one thing no one expected Harry Potter to be."

"Yeah, I know. But we're all here to do what we're all here to do." Harry replied sombrely. "May I ask you a question?"

"You've already asked one, however I think you may ask me one more." He said with a laugh and Harry remembered when Dumbledore had replied the same way back in his first year.

"Why are you doing this? It isn't that I don't appreciate it, because I do. I know that this may not succeed. But I also know that if it does, there's nothing in it for you. For all we know, your existence would be wiped out completely. I know it sounds rude, but I need to know the reason."

"You are completely correct, of course. 'Why I'm doing this' is the most important question for both of us. Think of it this way, Harry. When I came out of the Veil, I had no memories of my life before that point of time. I was no one – I didn't even have a name. But I had help. The people in the Australian Ministry took care of me. They gave me a name, a job; they made me everything that I am today. I owe my life to them. And when I try to thank them, I don't know how I should do it. I have money, but they won't accept it. They say that whatever they did, they did it because they had to do it and for humanity. They keep on saying that I don't owe them anything. As you said a short while ago, we're all here to do what we're all here to do. So I give some of my earning to charity. But the debt to humanity still remains. And by helping you out, I'm trying to repay my debt. And as for my existence, I've lived for just over a year now. I have some friends that I've made in this time, even some enemies. If this succeeds, I may miss my life. But I also know that my existence was an anomaly. Underneath the persona of Nigel Grimm, I still may be Sirius Black. And if I can help you and mankind fight the Dark Lord by being Sirius Black, I'll be more than happy to do it. I hope that's reason enough for you."

Harry was truly moved by the sentiments displayed in the heartfelt speech. Nigel was truly a great person.

"Thank you for sharing that with me, Nigel. You truly are an amazing person. And if this experiment does not succeed, I'd really like to have someone like you by my side, if you want to."

"It'd be my honour, Harry."

They shook hands and the conversation soon changed directions to more mundane topics.

---------------

Two days later, Mr. Wilde returned along with a man almost as old as himself and introduced him Antoine Guéris. He was French and had a small moustache. It was comical to see his eyes widen on seeing Harry Potter and Sirius Black, both thought to be dead and yet alive and together. Apparently, he was well aware of the current affairs in dear old England. He then abruptly turned to face Mr. Wilde and let out a string of words, that Harry was sure were profanities, in rapid fire French. The two continued a heated discussion in French for a quite some time. In the end, Mr. Wilde muttered something to Alex in French and then both of them turned away and walked out of the room leaving a stunned silence which was then broken by Alex who was shaking in his seat and laughing his heart out.

After calming down a bit, he confirmed Harry's suspicions about the language used by the two older men.

"Oh man," he continued trying to control his laughter. "I'm not sure whether half of the things they said are even possible. I knew those two have been friends for a long time, but this was totally wicked. I never thought those two had it in them to swear like that."

"What did they say?" Jason asked curiously.

"Remember I told you, Jason, to learn French. It's a great language, but you didn't listen to me. So now, I won't tell you." Alex replied smugly.

"What's so great about the French language?" Harry asked intrigued. The only French speakers he knew were Fleur and her family, and out of them he only knew Fleur to some extent.

"I can speak many languages, Harry, but French is my favourite. It's not the entire language, per se, just the curse words that are worth knowing. It's like wiping your arse with silk. I love it. But the important thing is that they have gone to prepare for the ritual. It would take them at least a couple of hours. So you and Nigel both are advised to eat and rest for it sure is going to be a bumpy ride."

---------------

Three hours later that the two men returned and announced that the ritual would now take place.

"Mr. Potter," Antoine Guéris greeted him in a heavily accented voice, thoroughly shaking his hand. "Please pardon my initial behaviour. It is not every day that one gets a surprise of seeing two men previously thought to be dead, but evidently as alive as magic itself. Had I known, my behaviour wouldn't be so rude. Of course, it is entirely possible that I may not have come here to perform this experiment, if I had known about it."

"It's no problem, Mr. Guéris." Harry replied somewhat embarrassed.

"And it is good to see you too, Mr. Grimm." He said turning towards Nigel. "I hope you can forgive me too."

"Certainly Mr. Guéris no harm done." Nigel replied with a smile.

"I apologise for the delay, but I had to know every minute detail or else the consequences would be disastrous. We should now move to the ritual room, if you are ready."

They moved to a room in the basement which was completely bare, and hence, well suited for the ritual. The door closed behind them and now only the three of them were standing in the room. A ritual circle similar to the one used during his rebirth was drawn on the floor. It was twice as large as the one he had seen and had three smaller circles within it. Each circle was adorned with runes, some of which were already glowing with a bluish hue. Guéris stood in one of the inner circles which was separate from the rest and was touching the edge of the bigger circle. The remaining two were halfway between the centre and the opposite edge of the larger circle. He stared at the arrangement one more time to make sure if everything was alright. Finally satisfied, he turned and addressed both of them.

"Please stand inside the two smaller circles. Mr. Potter, you stand here," he said indicating the one on his right, "and Mr. Grimm, you stand here." He indicated to the last remaining circle.

He continued once both Harry and Nigel had taken their respective places.

"Since we believe that the mind of Sirius Black may be present deep down inside Nigel Grimm, I will connect both of your minds. Make sure that I am not going to do anything else except acting as the medium. It is the only thing I can do. It will be your responsibility to accomplish the task. How you do it, I cannot say. I will monitor the developments and take care of everything else. Both of you should remember the task. Now, I'll ask this one last time. Are you ready and willing to perform the ritual?"

Harry and Nigel looked at each other and nodded.

"Good, now all you have to do is relax and let me do my work. Any questions before that?" he asked.

Receiving negatives from both of them, he pointed his wand at the larger circle and muttered, "_Ordior_". The circle glowed bright silver for a few seconds and then faded to form a silver dome that almost touched the ceiling. Harry understood that it was to protect them from outside interference. Unfortunately it reminded him of the Dome of Vengeance. The old man started chanting softly under his breath all the while pointing his wand at some of the runes to activate them. He stopped after a couple of minutes and addressed them once again.

"Get ready and relax. It is about to start."

He pointed his wand at the rune between the two circles in which Harry and Nigel were standing making it glow a dark shade of purple. Immediately Harry felt his feet leave the ground as he began to rise in the air. He saw that Nigel was in the same position as him and Harry understood that this would be just like the other ritual where his body was floating in the air. The two of them were skilfully manoeuvred in the air and were finally rested on their backs with their heads towards Guéris and floating about three feet off the ground. Guéris then waved his wand a couple of times to create a glowing red sphere about a couple of feet in diameter appear above their heads and between them. He then pocketed his wand and placed one hand on each of their foreheads.

"Close your eyes, now. Breathe easy, relax and remember your goal. And above all, don't panic." Guéris intoned softly.

"Don't panic?" Harry and Nigel asked simultaneously, their eyes wide.

"Would you rather panic and ruin the ritual?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked.

"It means – hold your portkeys Dorothy… 'cause Kansas… is going bye-bye." Guéris replied with a wicked smile.

Harry had an ominous feeling of the whole situation considering the way Guéris was acting and when he felt his eyes suddenly and forcibly snapped shut, it did nothing to ease his predicament. A tingling sensation went through his entire body for some time causing him to shudder and feel a terrible urge to scream. To his enormous chagrin, he found his movements restricted like he was in a full body bind. It was like being unable to scratch the itch which was just beyond his reach.

And then suddenly he felt a violent jerk which caused him to open his eyes. Looking around frantically, he saw that he was inside the red sphere that was hovering above them. But now, he was quite tiny and the sphere appeared huge. He could also see the area outside the sphere where Guéris was standing with his hands on Harry's and Nigel's foreheads. From inside the sphere, the outside looked gargantuan. He suddenly understood how an ant would feel in front of a giant.

Another matter of concern was that Nigel appeared to be struggling wildly with whatever Guéris was doing. Harry knew that his ride inside the sphere was not an easy one, but Nigel's appeared to be much harder. Even being in bind, his body was struggling hard. With each struggle the runes were giving out bright glows and Harry saw that even Guéris was having trouble keeping the situation under control.

Nigel finally gave a couple of mighty jerks and suddenly became still. Turning around Harry saw a figure standing in front of him glowing with a golden hue. The light faded slowly leaving Nigel standing there breathing very heavily.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked in concern.

"Yeah, just give me a minute." Nigel replied and then looked up. His eyes seemed to widen slightly and an enormous grin formed on his face. "Harry," he continued; his voice sounding a little different, "fancy seeing you here. Where is here, by the way?"

For a moment, Harry could not understand what was being said to him. The voice was definitely not the same, and yet it was a little familiar. He opened his mouth to say something, but got beaten to it.

"Allow me to introduce myself. The name's Black, Sirius Black."

"Sirius…" Harry asked incredulously. He couldn't believe what his ears.

"In the flesh, so to speak," he replied.

"Hey don't forget me, I'm here too." Nigel's voice came out of the same body.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just keep quiet for some time, will you?" That was Sirius.

"Fine, treat me like I'm not here."

"Stop whining. We'll have to think of what to do. And there's time enough for that."

"Stop it, both of you." Harry shouted above their chaotic feud. "Listen to me. So far, we have established that Sirius and Nigel both are inside the same body. But this isn't your real body. You are some sort of an echo or spirit or something, just not the real thing. So, please try to separate yourself from each other. And if you can't, please co-exist as peacefully as you can or I'll be forced to kill both of you."

There was a small pause during which the spirit glowed once again for a few seconds and then slowly began to separate into two different entities. And then, standing before Harry were both Nigel and Sirius, the latter looking around curiously.

"So where exactly are we?" Sirius asked.

Harry explained to him about the Veil and what had happened since he had fallen through it. Thankfully, he listened patiently without causing any trouble.

"So let me get this straight, you are inside my body, correct?" he asked Nigel. "You are in control, while I'm buried six feet under. Well, that's not going to happen. You can find yourself a new body."

"It isn't exactly possible, my boy." Guéris said, suddenly appearing beside them.

"You are the one performing this ritual, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Good, then you can get rid of him."

"Sirius, be nice," Harry warned.

"Mr. Black, perhaps you misunderstood me. You cannot get rid of Mr. Grimm, for the same reason, he cannot get rid of you. You and he are essentially the same person. In fact, you can say he is your alternate personality."

"What exactly do you mean?" Harry asked, cutting Sirius reply.

"While you were having a pleasant conversation here, I was taking my time to analyse their, shall we say, mental status. When I started the ritual, I did it with the assumption that both of you were present inside the same body. What I tried was to bring out both of you separately. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible. It looked like the both of you were linked together."

"That's why they were struggling so much?"

"Exactly, Mr. Potter," Guéris continued. "And so, I had to bring them together. It was an excellent suggestion of yours to separate them. It can be done here, because this is not your real body. Separating you within your body was not possible because you are one and the same person, just different personalities. When you travelled through the Veil, it managed to suppress the personality of Sirius Black. The memories were likewise blocked. And so, Nigel Grimm was born. Effectively, you both are the two sides of the same coin. You must both be present for the coin to have its meaning."

"So what do we do then?" Nigel asked.

"Now, we must merge the two of you to form a single entity. Mr. Black, you can consider the situation like you just spent the last year in a different country, under an alias while forgetting your old life. Mr. Grimm, you should think that you are receiving the life and the memories that you felt you had lost. It's like knowing who you really are. Since your lives aren't overlapping, it would be easier to merge. Is this an acceptable solution, gentlemen?"

Sirius and Nigel stared at each other for a long time and nodded in assent.

"Excellent, now I must make sure to get you gentlemen back safely."

"Mr. Guéris," Harry said. "How come you are here? Earlier, you had said we'd have to do it ourselves."

"Ah, yes. Initially, I was uncertain if I would be able to maintain the connection. This wasn't something I had done before. But your connection with Mr. Black was strengthened by your anchor and needed no effort on my part. And so, I thought instead of wasting time, why not help you out? Now gentlemen, try to relax. See you on the other side."

And with a bow, he disappeared from sight. The ride back was relatively smoother than the previous experience. When Harry opened his eyes, he saw he was still floating. On his side, Sirius was still in a bind while Guéris was concentrating heavily and chanting occasionally with both of his hands placed on Sirius' forehead. The sphere above them had already vanished. After another couple of minutes, Sirius opened his eyes. Grinning, he turned towards Harry and gave thumbs up. Harry couldn't help but smile at the joy radiated in his eyes.

One by one, the glowing runes began to fade out and finally both of them were manoeuvred to stand on their feet. Harry was immediately drawn into a bear hug by his godfather. He was released after a couple of moments and saw Sirius look at his face searchingly.

"You and I are going to have a long chat, dear godson of mine." Sirius said smirking slightly.

"Anytime, you old mutt," Harry replied, grinning at having Sirius back in his life.

---------------

Unfortunately, the long chat Sirius wished to have, had been very spectacularly delayed.

"So, now that the trivialities are over," Sirius began, glaring at Mrs. Carter, "we can now move to more important topics such as what has happened till now that we don't know, what we should do, how we should do it, etc. rather than how sick we are, the answer to which is obviously, not at all."

Sirius and Harry, accompanied by Mr. Wilde, Alex, Jason and Mrs. Carter were now sitting in the living room, finally free from the clutches of the Healer. She had nabbed them immediately after they stepped out of the ritual room and refused to let them go till the diagnostics were over. Harry who, was quite used to this treatment at the hands of Madam Pomfrey, did not even think about opposing her. Sirius, on the other hand, fought hard saying that she could check him up after he had a _long chat_ with his godson. Suffice to say, he lost the fight. Mrs. Carter and Mr. Guéris had joined hands and performed a number of tests on them, even subjecting them to a few potions, and were now going to pronounce their judgement.

"First of all," Mrs. Carter said, ignoring Sirius' statement, "we are pleased to announce that both of you are perfectly fit and healthy."

"As if there was ever any doubt…" Sirius grumbled under his breath.

"We were afraid of some mental complications arising due to the anchor business. We can now rule out the possibility as all tests have returned negative."

"What kind of mental complications are we talking about?" Harry asked.

"They could have been from among a wide variety, either simple ones such as forming a mental bond or even dangerous ones like being trapped in another's body."

"Ah… though I would have liked a mental bond with someone who wasn't hell bent on killing me." Harry said thoughtfully and smiled at Sirius.

"I have heard about those, devilishly hard to achieve and terribly easy to go wrong." Sirius said. "But they are wicked. We could even have talked in our minds and no one else would have known. Would you mind terribly if I try the Killing Curse on you?"

"So basically, there's no room for worry, right?" Harry asked glaring at Sirius.

"At this point of time, there are no complications. But we cannot say what may happen in the future."

"So I won't have a link with my anchors like Voldemort had with me?"

"That is definitely true. Remember that Voldemort was mentally linked with you because of the fragment of his soul that was inside you. An anchor link is not strong enough to form a mental bond."

"What fragment of soul are we talking about?" Sirius asked with wide eyes.

The next hour or so was spent informing Sirius about Voldemort's horcruxes and whatever had happened during his absence that wasn't public knowledge. Sirius knew a lot of things, due to working in Magical Law Enforcement, but still the not so public matters were more important and hence only known to a select few people, one of whom was Harry.

"Ok, now tell me what's happened since I've been dead." Harry said once Sirius was thoroughly informed.

"Well, you had a nice funeral, much like Dumbledore had." Alex began. "You were buried in the cemetery in Godric's Hollow, or rather everyone thinks so. I believe that's also the place where your parents are buried. We would have had trouble getting your body, but you solved that problem admirably."

"My body?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Yes, your body. You weren't just pushed into a new custom made body. We don't make bodies here. Do you think you could have entered any damn body we put there?" Jason asked patronizingly.

"But that thing I went in didn't look like me at all."

"When you died, you died in a blaze of glory and I mean, quite literally. It wasn't all due to you of course, rather lot of events contributing to it. The destruction of Voldemort's soul fragment, the fall of the Dome of Vengeance, the distribution of anchors, all these events happened at once leading to a huge amount of magical backlash. There was this bright white light that you were enveloped in making it impossible for everyone to see what was happening. Thankfully, we were ready for that and managed to replace your actual body with a fake one which the people happily… I mean sadly buried the next day. We had to treat the real one magically – perhaps that's why it looked so bad – so that it could adjust to your magic."

"That explains it. And it also explains why Voldemort had to do that whole cauldron ritual thing. His body was destroyed, wasn't it?"

"Exactly! And since he did not have a body, he had to manufacture one – _Bone of the father_ if you remember. It is, after all, ones father who sows the seed, isn't it?"

"And the _Flesh of the servant_ was to re-establish his connection with the Death Eaters, I think. The _Blood of the enemy_ was to help him bypass my mother's protection without fear of a negative reaction, wasn't it?"

"You have a sharp mind, Potter." Mr. Wilde said grinning. "You need to keep using it so that it remains functional."

"Yeah, yeah," Harry said making a face.

"On to other news, you did get the Order of Merlin – First Class, posthumously, for standing up to Voldemort. The Hogwarts Board of Governors has decided to open the school once again. They had some talks with the Ministry of Magic, demanded protection, got it and so decided to open. Now, Hogwarts has 50 aurors guarding it, 25 veterans and 25 rookies as her guard of honour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The Death Eater activity is significantly reduced but more targeted towards muggles. This is largely due to a new force created by the Ministry to battle the Death Eaters. They are being called the _Invisibles_."

"That's a really stupid name," Sirius muttered. "What would they call the next one, Unmentionables?"

"To our knowledge, no one significant among the wizards or the muggles is dead, just some random killings. Voldemort is bound to keep a low profile for some time and then launch a vicious attack after luring the people into a false sense of security. This is just the calm before the storm. The question is; for how long will it last?"

There was no answer and a silence descended over the group, each member lost in their own thoughts.

"Where is the glove?" Mr. Wilde asked suddenly.

"I have it right here." Harry replied removing it from his robe pocket.

"You should wear it more often. That will give it enough time to settle in with your magic. Don't use it for the first few days, a week perhaps. It should be compatible with you by then."

"Is that what I think it is?" Sirius asked?

"If you are thinking it is a dog collar, then you are wrong." Alex replied grinning and promptly received a glare in return.

"No, seriously…"

"Siriusly speaking…" Alex began but was cut off as everyone began laughing once again making Sirius huff.

"That's my joke, you know…" Sirius grumbled.

"Ok, that is enough." Harry said. "It seems that there is more to this thing than I was led to believe. So now, please enlighten me. Hey, it disappeared."

And surely, he could see his left hand as clear as the right one.

"The glove is a magical artefact that the creator can enchant to do a specific thing, like in your case to form a shield. It can only be used by someone whose magic is sentient to at least a certain level. With use, it gets tuned to the wearer's magic and then can be used as a focus. You will know it is in tune with your magic when it changes appearance to that of a gauntlet. In the meantime, it will blend so that others won't be able to see it." Mr. Wilde said.

"You mean that it will focus like a wand?"

"Not exactly, but relatively similar. You will understand it more clearly as you use it. This is all we can tell you."

"It is a very useful thing, Harry." Sirius said. "I know Aberforth had one too."

"Aberforth… his magic is sentient too?" Harry asked with surprise. "But I didn't see a gauntlet when I met him."

"Aberforth may not be half as powerful as Albus was, but due to his sentient magic, Albus could never best him. It's a pity he had to sacrifice his gauntlet to help Albus defeat Grindelwald. With it he could have easily floored Albus."

"How did sacrificing the gauntlet defeat Grindelwald?"

"It isn't exactly known what nefarious scheme the two brothers concocted to do it," Sirius said with a grin, "but they required a lot of magic to make it work. Aberforth offered to destroy the gauntlet so that it would release its inherent magic and fuel their purpose instead of weakening themselves. He said that since Albus had made the gauntlet for him, it was only natural that it should be destroyed to help him."

"That's all there is, basically. Now you are aware of almost everything since you disappeared."

"We should be going now." Harry said. "Lots of things to do, Death Eaters to torture, Dark Lords to kill, you know…"

"Yeah," Sirius replied. "But first we need a disguise. We cannot just go there looking like this. We are supposed to be dead and I think we should use that to our advantage."

"My thoughts exactly," Harry agreed. "I can become anyone I chose, being a metamorphmagus. The only problem is your disguise. Your name can be Nigel Grimm, but you need to look different. And we cannot use glamour charms; too risky and can be easily countered. Polyjuice won't work too."

"A metamorphmagus, Harry? How very interesting…" Sirius trailed with a wicked grin.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing at all," he replied innocently. "So I understand you made a lot of progress here? Are you an animagus too?"

"No such luck." Harry replied bitterly. "I don't have the necessary skill."

"It's actually better in one way," Sirius mused. "It's cool if used for fun, but your life isn't going to be fun. Being an animagus can even be a hindrance. You can have a surprise attack the first time, but then the enemy can curse you more easily. Unless you are something swift like a panther or powerful like a dragon, it has no use in combat. You could even end up being a Slug."

This reply cheered Harry very much.

"Back to the topic of discussion, maybe you should undergo a makeover the muggle way with a little help from magic as well," Alex suggested. "It cannot be countered by magic, and it will be semi-permanent. Dye your hair for one, and cut it too. It'll make a significant difference and will let you blend in."

And so, the next couple of hours were dedicated to giving Sirius a new look. When the process was finally finished, Sirius looked almost unrecognizable to how he looked earlier. His hair was short and dirty blonde and it went well with the tan he had acquired _down under_.

"I look like someone related to the Malfoys," he grumbled on seeing his reflection.

"Sirius, you _are_ related to the Malfoys." Harry said with a grin and received a glare in return.

"Easier to say, but hard to be," he replied.

"If it makes any difference, think that it is better that being someone related to Snivellus. And for you, I am going to look just like you."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked in an excited voice.

"It means, Nigel Grimm, meet your twin brother, Blake Grimm." Harry answered and promptly morphed to look just like Sirius.

This did indeed bring a smile to his face and even a tear that he wiped away hastily. Harry did not understand if he had done something wrong, because he had never seen Sirius this emotional, except in the Shrieking Shack in his third year.

"Sirius, are you alright? I won't do it if you don't want me to."

"Harry," he said in a hoarse voice, "you don't know how much that statement meant to me. You must have heard countless number of times how much you resemble your father but with your mother's eyes. James was perhaps the only real family I ever had. It's true that Remus and Lily were there for me too, but James was like a brother to me. Lily often said that we were twins separated at birth, so much alike were our views on every aspect of life. You brought back those old memories Harry, and it reminded me once again of the good times and how accepting everyone is of me. I don't know what my life would have become had I not had friends like these."

"You deserve nothing but the best Sirius. Even they were lucky to have someone like you in their lives."

"Enough of this mushy stuff. This has given me a great idea and an excellent opportunity. I just have to pull a few strings and we will have new identities and a new mission."

"What do you propose?" Harry asked curiously.

"It's a surprise. That way, if it doesn't go as planned, I can give you a teddy bear and say that this is your surprise."

"Sirius…" Harry sighed annoyed.

"Don't worry Harry. I won't be gone for long. Tell you what, you go ahead and set up camp in the mountainside cave I used to stay during your fourth year. I'll meet you there in a few hours and then tell you everything, alright?"

"Alright, I guess. But you better not keep me waiting." Harry warned.

"I won't."

"Alright then, I'll help you leave," Jason said. "I can also give you a few ideas about your trip."

It seemed that you also needed permission to leave the facility. Alex gave him a Wizard's Tent, a food hamper courtesy of Mrs. Carter and a few books to seek information on the founders and their artefacts. His trunk was packed in a few minutes. He didn't have much actually, just the tent, books, food and a few sets of clothes that had been made for him to wear on the facility – enough to make him look presentable. He knew that he could buy some more when he got his money back.

Alex side-along apparated him to a room in another part of the facility. He once again felt a bit dizzy due to the temporal shift.

"The spell would have worked for another couple of weeks. If my calculations are correct, today's date is August 28th. It's just after sunrise here so when you reach it would be just about noon I guess. So you have a few hours if you want to start anything today. I'll charm this trunk to be a portkey that will take you to the coast of Bermuda once I lift the wards on this room. From there, you can apparate to the cave along with your trunk. Be careful. Long distance apparation is difficult, but you can do it. When you are ready, sit on your trunk and give me a nod."

"I don't know if I can thank you enough for everything you have done for me."

"No need to thank Harry. We're all here to do what we're all here to do."

"Is there some way I can contact you in the future?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible. But we'll meet if we decide to take a vacation or something."

They shook hands and then Harry settled on the trunk, holding one of its handles. He gave a nod and felt the wards being lifted as Alex waved his wand to dispel them. Immediately, he felt a tug behind his navel as he was whisked away from the Magical Research facility in the Bermuda Triangle.

---------------

The cave was exactly like what it had been before. The air was cool and there was just enough light to look around. Harry immediately conjured some torches and set up the tent. He went to the entrance and discreetly looked around to see if anyone could observe their temporary hideout. Satisfied, he went inside once again, conjured a plush armchair and began reading a book waiting for Sirius to return.

About two hours later, Sirius popped in carrying two identical trunks. He looked around tensely for a few seconds, and eased only when he saw Harry sitting to one side. He casted a few repelling wards near the entrance and went inside the tent followed by Harry.

"So," Harry asked as soon as the trunks were set down, "where's my surprise?"

"In a hurry, aren't we?"

"Well, I died before I could get any presents this year."

Sirius just raised an eyebrow, pulled a couple of bottles of butterbeer from the trunk and handed one to Harry.

"I didn't know you cared much for presents."

"Sirius, stop stalling."

"Alright, this is what I was able to pull off. You are Blake Grimm, working for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in Australia, and are hereby sent to the United Kingdom on a reconnaissance mission along with your twin brother, Nigel Grimm. Your main purpose is determining the situation here and also how it is handled so that should the situation arise in our home country, we will be ready to take the necessary steps. It means we won't do the same mistakes they did."

"Sirius, you do know that this is not what we are here for."

"I am aware of that Harry. But let me remind you once again that we are dead people in our own country. We cannot just waltz in here. We should have a strong cover that will be seen when they do a background check. Don't worry about it Harry, I know all the political stuff. But this is just our cover. When I got back, I told Mike everything about me. He's my boss and one of the people who know the truth about me. With his help, I managed to pull a few strings to get all this done. One of these trunks is for you. It's a basic trunk that every Law Enforcement Official gets – uniforms, couple of spare wands, etc. I was able to get a few more things we may need. So I think we are all set."

"So under this pretext, we're free to do whatever we want?"

"Essentially, yes. Have you thought about what we are going to do now that we are back?"

"I was thinking of visiting Hogwarts to see how things are with our own eyes."

"You read my mind, twin of mine."

Harry was suddenly reminded of Fred and George and felt that he in fact liked the sound of what Sirius had said. Life was suddenly looking much brighter.

---------------

Harry and Sirius both changed into the forest green robes they were provided with. Once outside the cave, Sirius cast some more wards on the entrance. Though Harry had been taught some wards, he felt better about Sirius' wards simply because the latter was much more proficient than him. Together they apparated in front of Honeydukes and made their way towards their old school. They were also pleased to see that aurors were patrolling Hogsmeade, giving its residents a sense of security.

When they reached the castle, they were stopped by four aurors who had their wands drawn.

"State your names and purpose of visit," one of them barked.

"Nigel and Blake Grimm from the Australian Ministry of Magic, here to meet the Headmistress." Sirius answered.

"We weren't notified of an appointment. Do you have any identification?"

Sirius handed him a scroll of parchment from his robes.

"Very well. Brighton, please take them inside."

They followed Brighton inside the gates and to the castle and Harry felt a strange feeling rise inside him. He looked around and marvelled at how beautiful the castle still looked after all the things it had seen over the years. There was a feeling of joy that began bubbling in his chest. He was home once again. Harry Potter had come back to Hogwarts.

Inside the double doors, they were stopped by another four aurors who informed them that the Headmistress was doing her daily rounds of the castle and will be down here in another few minutes. Till then, they were requested to wait in the antechamber behind the staff table. They settled in a couple of armchairs by the fire waiting for McGonagall to arrive.

"What's your opinion till now Blake?" Sirius asked once they were alone.

"It looks good, I think."

"That's what I thought too."

"Any ideas what we're going to do after this?"

"A few… I'll tell you later."

"How are you feeling?"

"About what?"

"About all this… coming back… meeting old friends… stuff like that."

"It's good to be back, Nigel. I feel I'm home once again." Harry said sincerely, thinking about Hogwarts and how something felt quite different about her. "She still looks as beautiful as ever."

Suddenly the torches burning along the wall glowed brilliant for a few seconds and then returned to normal.

"Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! I think you just made the castle blush." Sirius said with a grin.

"Indeed," said a voice from the other side of the room and Harry and Sirius turned to see McGonagall standing at the door with Shacklebolt and a couple of aurors who left closing the door.

"Mr. Grimm, Mr. Grimm, I'm Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts and this is Kingsley Shacklebolt. He is in charge of the security of Hogwarts. If you don't mind, I'd like our discussion to be held here. These old bones could use some rest after the rounds."

"You are hardly what someone would call old Headmistress." Sirius said.

McGonagall did not smile but the corners of her mouth did turn up a bit. She waved her wand and refreshments appeared on the table. Two things had become immediately clear to Harry – Kingsley could indeed be depended upon to keep the castle safe and that McGonagall had somehow managed to keep the _old crowd_ around.

"I know about your purpose of visit," she continued. "Tell me what you feel about the security."

"The security is excellent, Headmistress, but…" Sirius began and trailed off.

"But… is there something amiss?"

"There is nothing amiss. But we feel it may fail." Harry said.

"Why do you say so? Surely we are able to stop an attack on the castle." Kingsley said in his deep baritone voice.

"I do not doubt that, Mr. Shacklebolt. An attack is imminent, and you can stop it only if it happens the way you think it will happen. Else, it will fail."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell us what you are protecting the castle from."

"The Dark Lord's attack, of course."

"And if you think Voldemort is going to appear at the gates with an army to fight, I think you're surely mistaken."

"You think he won't?"

"We know he won't," Sirius said. "We wouldn't have denied the possibility had Dumbledore or Potter been alive. But now, Hogwarts holds nothing that interests him. His first target would be the Ministry. When that has fallen, only then will he turn here."

"So you think the security is unnecessary?" McGonagall asked sternly.

"In fact it is more than necessary, it's crucial." Harry said. "But you should know what you are protecting the castle from. The castle is definitely safe from an outside attack. But that won't happen. You have to turn your attention inside. Consider the last six years Headmistress. Four of your Defence professors have had a huge hand in the castle's security lapse. I do hope you have found someone trustworthy this time. Besides, there will be Death Eaters in training within the castle in a couple of days. You won't know their plans before it's too late. You have to secure the castle from these entities. And as wise as Dumbledore was, we shouldn't trace his footsteps. The time for second chances is long gone."

"I understand what you are implying Mr. Grimm. I would like to assure you I do have a trustworthy Defence professor. He was recommended by Albus himself."

"The portrait is awake then?" Sirius asked.

"Unfortunately, no. He did have a letter written by Albus asking him to take the job."

"It could be a fake."

"He also had a phoenix feather with him."

"Fawkes?"

"Yes… though I wonder how you know so much."

"It's all there in Hogwarts: A History." Harry replied cheekily. "History repeats itself, Headmistress. And those who do not learn from others' mistakes are bound to repeat them. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. If you can rely on your Defence professor then you have one task less. I assume you'll continue teaching Transfiguration. Then it will just be those little pureblood blighters in the dungeons that you have to watch out for."

"Can we expect your aid if the need arises." Kingsley asked.

"Definitely," Sirius said. "We'll provide you with some means to contact us within a few days. Will you need our help when the students return?"

"I would appreciate it. If there is no other matter, I think this meeting is over." McGonagall said. "Feel free to ask if you need anything."

"Actually, we do need the services of a curse breaker. If you can recommend someone, we'll appreciate that very much."

"There is one individual I can recommend who is proficient in that line of work. A bit young, but you'll see he knows what he is doing. His name is William Weasley and he stays in Ottery St. Catchpole at a place called The Burrow."

"Excellent. Can I assume you'll let him know that we'll arrive in an hour or so?"

"Of course."

"Then, we'll see you on September 1st Headmistress. Till then, we bid you good bye."

McGonagall and Shacklebolt watched the other two as they left the room.

"What do you think about them, Kingsley?"

"They seem experienced, and I think they have the measure of Voldemort. It would be better if we follow their advice. But did you get the feeling that for someone who lived in Australia, they were quite knowledgeable of Hogwarts' history. I don't believe for a second that everything they know is found in some book."

"It isn't in the book, Kingsley, and that's what I'm afraid about. They know much about us, too much I'd say. Now, the question is whether we should believe that they are here to help us or should we stay away from them."

"It is good that you suggested Bill as a curse breaker. We can know what to expect from them."

"That was indeed my idea. Gwen," she said turning to a portrait of an old witch, "can you tell us what you saw or heard before we arrived."

"They have their hearts in the right place, Minerva. One of them clearly acted like an older one. The other seemed to have had fond memories of Hogwarts, and yet was filled with hurt. He said that it was good to come home once again."

"Do you think they were once students here? I can't remember them from my time and they look quite young."

"Looks can be deceiving Minerva."

"Then we should be cautious."

"That, I cannot say. But I do know one thing – Hogwarts is very happy to have them here."

---------------

"Why did you ask for a curse breaker?" Harry asked once they were sufficiently far away from the castle.

"We may need his help. We don't know what cursed horrors except those infernal inferi Voldemort may be using to protect his horcruxes."

"I figured that out. But why ask McGonagall? You knew she was going to recommend Bill, didn't you?"

"Two reasons Harry – one because now she will think she has an inside man who could see if we are indeed trustworthy; and second – even we will be in the know if Bill works for us."

"I get your point."

They spent the next hour roaming through Hogsmeade and talking about general stuff. It wasn't safe to discuss anything else as anyone could eavesdrop on their conversion and they did not want to show that they were up to something by being secretive. As a result, they spent their time generally acting like tourists. About an hour later, and after asking different people where exactly they could reach Ottery St. Catchpole and the Weasleys, they apparated a couple of minutes from the Burrow and started towards to the house.

By this time Harry had started having mixed feelings inside him. He didn't know if he could maintain his morph after seeing his friends. He knew they would be sad due to his death, and actually seeing them like that could be enough to turn him from Blake Grimm to Harry Potter. If being close to the Burrow had him in this state, he didn't know what would happen if he actually went inside and faced all of them.

Sirius must have sensed this and asked him to wait in the garden while he went inside to fetch Bill. Harry waited patiently in the shadow of a large tree. Five minutes later, Sirius returned with Bill and Fleur. Bill looked perfectly healthy, though a bit scarred, from the after effects of the attack. Fleur looked as radiant as always. Though Harry knew both Bill and Fleur, they weren't that close to him. He knew he could remain collected in front of them. His mood, on the other hand, was still a bit sour.

"Gentleman, Lady, this is my brother Blake. Blake, this is William Weasley and his beautiful fiancé, Fleur Delacour. She is currently working with him."

Harry, who was standing a few feet from them, nodded politely and went back to staring into space.

"Please excuse him. He just misses Roo."

"Who's Roo?" Fleur asked and Harry dimly noted that her mastery on the language had definitely increased.

"She's his pet kangaroo. While we were in Hogsmeade, he saw… something that reminded him of her. Of course, since he cannot see her or bring her here, he is just a bit sad. But don't worry about him. He'll be normal in a while."

"Alright, so I understand you are in need of a curse breaker?" Bill asked.

"We are not completely sure we need one. But having a curse breaker nearby is always good. We'll of course be paying you your dues for the amount of time you spend with us."

"Can you tell me something about the job? I won't be able to give my full worth if I cannot rate the dangerousness of the situation."

"Can we trust you, Mr. Weasley? I'll admit we don't know you and so also you don't know us. Suffice to say, you don't trust us completely and neither do we trust you. What if we tell you a secret that you tell someone else? We don't know yet where your allegiance lies."

"Please call me Bill. I'll be honest with you that I'm part of another group that opposes the Dark Lord and his followers. I have no other allegiance except towards my family and friends."

"The Order of the Phoenix is dead, Bill. It died with Dumbledore." Harry said for the first time entering the conversation.

"How do you…"

"It doesn't matter how we know. Just remember that we are not jumping in the fight blindly. We know just about enough of the situation here. I'll tell you one thing though. We're here to make sure Voldemort and his Death Eaters get their just deserts. The Order could never have achieved that. It had too many unnecessary persons and even some traitors. And I don't know how many are still loyal to the cause."

"We still are." Fleur replied heatedly.

"That you may be, dear lady, but the fact remains that the Order can take you nowhere. I'll give you an offer Bill, Fleur. Join us. We need people like you. And I promise that you'll see the end of the Dark Lord."

"We'll need to think about it."

"Can we trust that you won't inform others of our conversation, or should I perform a secrecy spell?" Sirius asked.

"I would prefer if you didn't."

"So that you can tell your other group about us? This leaves us in a bit of quandary, Bill."

"It'll help me decide."

"Alright, then. Here's another option for you. You can tell your people what we've told you. It isn't much beyond guesswork anyway. But if you agree to work for us, you'll have to keep our workings to yourself only. We'll give you the reasons behind that and I'm sure you'll agree with us."

"That's acceptable, I suppose. We'll inform you of our decision on September 1st."

---------------

Harry and Sirius accompanied other aurors on the Hogwarts Express on September 1st. By then, Harry was able to keep himself collected and did not react when he saw his friends. There were no untoward incidents or attacks by Death Eaters and the journey was over in peace. When they reached Hogwarts, they saw that an extra table had been placed in the Great Hall for the aurors. They had a quick meal with a few others as most of the aurors were on guard and would come in only when someone else came to relieve them.

They met Bill afterwards who informed them that he was ready to join them.

"Fleur returned to France today morning. We have bought a small cottage there. She has asked me to invite the two of you so that we can plan whatever we are going to do. We have also decided to maintain the secrecy of our work with you unless a situation arises where we may need outside help."

"You trust us too early Bill." Sirius said with a frown.

"Well, as you may have guessed, I talked with McGonagall and Kingsley as they recommended my name. I asked them what they felt about you and if they trust you. McGonagall said that Hogwarts trusts you and that's enough for her."

"What do you mean Hogwarts trusts us?" Harry asked sharply. He had a fair idea what was going on, but he needed to make sure.

"Actually, even I didn't understand that part, so I asked her. And she said that even she doesn't understand it. But all the portraits assure her that you can be trusted. So as long as you didn't confound the castle, I'll say I trust you too."

"Fair enough, I think."

"So you'll stay with us then?"

"What do you say Nigel?"

"We wouldn't want to impose…"

"I assure you it won't be any problem at all." Bill said sincerely.

"Then I think we'll stay there for a week or so. It'll give us enough time to plan our next move, gather information, etc."

"Excellent, I have a portkey that leaves at ten o'clock tomorrow. Can you be at the Burrow before that?"

"We'll be there." Sirius assured him cordially.

When Bill had left, they apparated to the cave in the mountain.

"You know what the deal with Hogwarts is." Sirius said, rather asked.

"I have a rough idea."

"Spill it then."

"I think she's one of my anchors. I did feel something different about her when we went there the other day. Also what the portraits think somehow confirm it."

"Blimey, Harry, you don't do small, do you? What would be the next one – the Eiffel Tower?"

"That's stupid Sirius. I think Hogwarts is my anchor because I've always considered her as my home. Somehow my magic remembered that fact and made her one."

"Oh, but this does give us an idea about who the rest of your anchors would be."

"Yeah, we'll discuss it later. Right now, I just want to sleep. I'm knackered."

---------------

The next day, Harry, Sirius and Bill arrived in France in front a small two storey cottage. It was very different from the English ones Harry had seen. Everything about it screamed _French_, but in a good way. It was located in one of the magical towns in France, Cher-something or the other and was harmonious with nature. Bill had said the name clearly, but it was a French name and Harry had almost immediately forgotten it. The only thing Harry though worth knowing was that the cottage was near the beach. He later learned that it was the English Channel and his own country was just on the other side.

Harry stayed out for sometime letting the wind run through his hair and watching the gentle turbulence of water, trying to drown himself in the regenerating feeling. He didn't know if he had felt this free in his entire life, or whether he would be able to in the future. Right now, he just wanted to thank Bill and Fleur for bringing him here. _I should thank Aurora too_, he thought with a smile. _After all, she is Fate_.

When Harry went inside, his hair was flying all over the place and it reminded him of how he looked earlier. He waved a polite hello to both Bill and Fleur and joined them in the parlour.

"Should we start discussing the matter now or after lunch?" Bill asked.

"Now would be a good time. I cannot tell you everything at this time because most of it is classified, need to know basis. In short, our aim is to deal with Voldemort. A few things here and there have come to our notice. Not suspicious enough if considered alone, but together it's dangerous stuff. We'll be working undercover to investigate these rumours and so even the governments don't know about this. What we can tell you is that Voldemort has made a good amount of progress to become immortal. Unfortunately, he has almost succeeded. We have to search and destroy certain artefacts in order to achieve this. Searching them is the difficult part because we have to do it without raising suspicion. Taking them out of their hiding places and destroying is where we need your help. If we know Voldemort enough, we can say that getting them out would be extremely difficult and could get real nasty." Harry said. He thought he did a good job getting the point across without revealing too much information.

"How do you know so much about Voldemort?"

"We have our sources and we have our scores to settle. We'd like your help whenever you are capable of providing it. We won't hold it against you if at some point you decide not to pursue this line of action."

"I'll help you. Do you have any other plans?"

"Yes, in fact, we also hope to form a group of people who are ready to fight when the Death Eaters strike. It will be like your Order, but the rules are different. Anyone who wants to join must be ready to kill, hurt at least. As we told McGonagall, the time for second chances is long gone. So also it is for Stunners and Disarmers. We want only those who'd be willing to fight fire with fire. We don't want our group going into a fight and losing their lives because they used those stupid curses." Sirius said vehemently. _Perhaps he hasn't got over the defeat he suffered at the hands of Bellatrix_, Harry thought.

"You'll be fighting the Death Eaters too?" Fleur asked.

"Only when we can, we have bigger fish to fry. And that is why we are asking for help. What we have to do takes precedence, because only we know it and can do something about it. The information must be kept secret."

"I can recommend a few things as well as people who can help." Bill said.

"Please take Nigel's help with that. He can tell you if we'll need someone with a particular skill and what dangers may be waiting for us."

Seeing Bill, Fleur and Sirius talk among themselves, Harry returned to watching the scenery outside. Inside, he wondered where he should start searching for the horcruxes. He knew he couldn't help them. His only task was to start firing whenever the time came.

---------------

When lunch was over, Sirius and Bill once again began their discussions while Harry went to stand near the window. He still hadn't quenched his desire to be outside.

"You like the view?" Fleur asked coming to stand beside him. Apparently, she had gotten bored by now.

"It is beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here. I have missed out so much in my life that every small thing seems precious."

Harry's heartfelt speech definitely pleased her judging by how quickly her cheeks tuned pink.

"It's nothing. You were right about the Order. After Dumbledore's death, there was rarely any action taking place. When Voldemort killed Harry Potter, it seemed like everyone had lost hope. And so when you offered us a chance to join you, we jumped at it."

Harry turned around to look in her eyes and saw nothing but honesty in them. He didn't need to perform Legilimency to verify that.

"I'm sorry that my brother is taking so much of your fiancé's time that you haven't had time for the two of you."

Her cheeks turned pink once again.

"It is no problem at all. I know William won't be happy until he thinks he is doing something to help the fight. It is one of the reasons I love him so much."

"Both of you are very lucky to have each other."

"I know," she replied with a fond smile and Harry felt a pang of jealousy. He wished even he had someone in his life who he could turn to, to forget his sorrows.

He suddenly felt a tingle of magic in his left hand, where he had the glove. He felt different somehow, almost giddy. He turned once again and saw Fleur looking at him. His eyes caught hers and he could feel sparks rise in his heart. It was like he was suddenly separated from the reality of the present. There was something in her alluring eyes that made him weak. It was like the Imperius Curse. He could fight that, but this was much stronger. Dimly, he was aware of it being the Veela power she was radiating.

Slowly, inch by inch, they moved towards each other, their eyes closing by their own accord. Soon their lips met in a blaze of heat and passion. He could feel her arms around his neck and he reciprocated by circling her waist with his arms, pulling her close to him. She parted her lips granting him access and he gladly complied. Their tongues danced around without rhythm and they were soon moaning into each other's mouths. Finally the need for air became too much and they separated.

Slowly Harry opened his eyes and saw Fleur do the same. His eyes widened immediately when he realised exactly what he had done. He looked in her eyes which were as wide as his and saw that his morph had somehow failed and he once again looked like the old Harry Potter. Even Fleur seemed to have realised this and immediately scampered away from him to stand behind Bill who had his wand drawn and pointed at him. Beside him, Sirius was watching the whole scenario with amazement written all over his face.

"Two questions, Blake," Bill said with barely controlled rage. "Are you really Blake Grimm? If so, why do you look like Harry Potter? And why the hell were you just kissing my fiancé?"

Harry did not have in his heart to tell the irate redhead that he had asked three questions instead of two.

---------------

**Author's Notes:**

_What the hell just happened?_ Find out in the next chapter of **NGA**. Those of you who can guess the reason can tell me and I'll provide you with a sneak peak of the next chapter where the actual action starts. Stay tuned.

I would like to thank to **Mike** (Apocalypso-33) for his help without which this chapter would have been much worse, and **Anna** (Skittles) who provided the name Antoine Guéris.

Please Read and Review. Constructive Criticism is always welcome.


	9. The Hunt Begins

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Not my disclaimer either. In simple words, YOU CAN'T SUE ME.

**Spoilers:** PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, HBP, QTTA, FB.

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance.

**Rating:** M – For MATURE language and themes.

**Author's Notes:**

I am awfully sorry for the extremely long wait guys (_and girls, too_). Please forgive me just this once.

I would also like to thank everyone who sent me PMs and emails asking about my well being and about the story. I would like to assure you that I had been facing some RL issues, but now am much better. You guys inspired me to continue writing the story even with those issues.

Also, don't forget to read the **Author's Notes** at the end of the chapter. So without further ado, let's get on with the story.

* * *

_**Chapter 8 – The Hunt Begins**_

"_Two questions, Blake," Bill said with barely controlled rage. "Are you really Blake Grimm? If so, why do you look like Harry Potter? And why the hell were you just kissing my fiancé?"_

_Harry did not have in his heart to tell the irate redhead that he had asked three questions instead of two._

* * *

Harry immediately had his wand in his hand as he considered his options carefully. He had already thought of what to do in the unlikely scenario that he was caught without his disguise. Option A was rather straightforward – he could _Obliviate_ Bill and Fleur. The chunk of memory that needed to be erased wasn't a big one and he was proficient enough to be certain that he wouldn't cause them any damage. However, the kiss had put doubts in his mind. Somehow, he knew that it wasn't a onetime thing. He could easily hold himself against the Veela charm – he had done that before and Fleur was only a quarter Veela after all. However, this time, it had felt different – a lot more different. Moreover, there was always a chance that this might happen again. And he wanted to know the reason behind it. _Not that I wouldn't like that to happen again_, he thought.

It wasn't the kiss, per se, but rather how it had been initiated. Harry would have never minded kissing the French beauty – no male in his right mind would have. Although, he would at least have done it when her fiancé was not with her, and sitting just a few feet away. The kiss was unbelievable enough, but they had done it right in front of Bill and that was mindboggling and reckless to a completely new level. The thing that confused him was that no one had forced the other to kiss and both had been equally willing, which in itself was a miracle. Harry knew that however willing he might be, he wouldn't have kissed her, as he knew how much she loved Bill. She had stayed by Bill's side even when he was scarred by the werewolf attack. He didn't know why he had kissed her and he definitely wanted to find out. She might be the only help he could get to solve this problem.

Option B, on the other hand, was a risky one – he could tell them the truth about him. They would undoubtedly not accept it at face value – immediately at least – and even if they did, there was still a certain chance that the secret would not remain a secret for long. How tempting it would be for them to tell everyone that he was alive and had returned! That would reduce all his efforts to remain incognito to ashes. There was also a chance that Option B would have to be followed with Option A, but on a larger scale.

But he also knew that he would need Bill's help to retrieve the horcruxes. He was sure Voldemort must have put up many wards and cursed artefacts protecting the pieces of his soul, and Bill's expertise as a Curse Breaker would be extremely valuable. Dumbledore wasn't around to help him do this job anymore. On the other hand, Bill was no fool, and would definitely realise the magnitude of what he and Sirius were doing. There was a definite chance that he might help them willingly. And it would definitely be helpful if he were taken into confidence.

He glanced at Sirius who had his eyes fixed on Bill and was slowly moving his right hand behind his back. It had almost reached its limit, when he clenched his fingers and abruptly moved it forward to get to his wand. Harry almost laughed at this strange behaviour before concentrating on the current situation. Sirius saw him watching and gave a slight nod, indicating that he would support whatever decision Harry took. He just hoped it was the right one.

"Answer me Blake or I'll…" Bill began once again, but Harry met his eyes and halted him. The anger was still present in his voice.

"Bill, the answers to your questions are – I am _not_ Blake Grimm. I am Harry Potter, probably the reason why I look like myself. And about the _third_ question, I cannot answer it as I myself don't know the reason."

"That's bullshit," Bill responded vehemently. "Harry is dead. Voldemort himself killed him. You are nothing but an imposter using his face."

"An imposter who had not once used this face, but lost control only when your fiancé _kissed_ him," Harry replied heatedly.

Fleur recoiled as if she had been slapped, and Harry realised how accusatory he had been. He regretted what he said, but he knew that he needed to be firm now if he were to get his point across and assert his identity.

"Look, I did not mean…"

"She did not kiss you. You forced her into a kiss."

Harry's only response was to raise his eyebrows bemusedly. Frankly speaking, he was quite impressed with how much Bill trusted her. That only meant that the task of proving his identity had become more difficult. The first step to overcome it would be to calm down the apoplectic man. Any argument with Bill wouldn't be successful until he calmed down. Overprotective boyfriends and Weasleys were never meant to think rationally when angry – unfortunately, Bill was both.

"Bill, listen to me carefully." Harry replied softly. "I know this seems rather farfetched and I wouldn't have believed it either, but it is the truth. I am Harry. Voldemort did not succeed in killing me. Somehow, due to a cruel twist of fate, I am still alive and need to finish what I did not the first time around. I need your help to do that and that's the reason why we asked for your help. As for kissing Fleur, I'll admit that I don't regret it. It was _bloody_ fantastic. But that doesn't mean that I initiated the kiss or forced her to kiss me. I don't think it's her fault, but neither is it mine. If you don't believe me, you can ask her if I am telling the truth."

"And if I still don't believe you?"

"Then, I'm afraid I'll have to take the course which I decided against."

"And that is?"

"I'll just have to erase your memories. I had initially decided against it, thinking that, if I were to tell you the truth, it would have been beneficial to establish a mutual trust later on. But it isn't too late to go through with that yet."

"Are you threatening me?" Bill asked icily.

"Yes, I am, Bill." Harry replied firmly, making Bill flinch. "Look, just calm down for a few moments. Try to think rationally. As I said, this does seem rather unbelievable, but it is the truth. I know I can somehow prove it to you, but you won't accept it unless you try to use your brain."

Harry watched silently as Bill lost his tense posture and his shoulders dropped a bit. He was still alert and ready for a fight, seeing as how he held his wand.

"You are Harry?" He asked after a few moments.

"Yes."

"You weren't dead? Voldemort didn't kill you?"

"Yes."

"You are alive?"

"Yes."

"And you are alive, as in _not dead_?"

"Bill, I think the two terms basically mean the same thing. Life and Death are mutually exclusive events."

"And you are Harry?" He asked, once again.

"I think we already established that."

Harry wanted to hit himself for asking Bill to calm down. It seemed that his brain had calmed down so much that even processing simple thoughts had become a daunting task. Suddenly, Harry saw him tense once again as if he had reached a conclusion he did not like.

"Then why the hell were you kissing Fleur?" Bill roared, once again pointing his wand angrily.

Harry felt the faint vestiges of a headache starting to blossom and he rubbed his forehead in annoyance. He should just have modified their memories and be done with it. He could have dealt with the _kiss_ later. He felt like making a scathing reply, when all of a sudden he saw a red beam travelling the short distance from Sirius to Bill, forcing the latter to sway and fall backwards on the sofa he had been sitting on earlier.

Harry looked towards the origin and saw Sirius giving him a small grin. Fleur, on the other hand, looked a little afraid. It was as if she thought they were going to hurt her now. Harry ignored that for a moment and just relaxed, leaning against the wall. His headache had already begun to clear and he knew exactly how to convince them. _At least, it'll be easier to convince Fleur_, he thought.

"Hello, Fleur." He said softly.

"'arry?" she asked, with her French accent even more pronounced.

"Yeah, it's me. I would have asked you to greet me with the customary kisses on my cheeks, but I don't think that'll now be necessary."

He saw her eyes widen slightly and a faint blush grace her cheeks. Her posture still spoke of her disbelief though he saw a bit of trust shine through.

"How is this possible? You are alive. But you were dead!"

"No… yes… I was, sort of. But look, I can prove it's me. Do you remember the Triwizard Tournament? How you called me a little boy? How Ron asked you to the ball? How you kissed my cheeks when I came out of the lake because you thought I had saved Gabrielle? How you brought breakfast for me at the Burrow? I even remember you saying you were beautiful enough for both you and Bill when he was in the Hospital Wing."

He smirked when he saw her blush once again at his last statement.

"Blame it on the Powers that be. They told me that since I hadn't done my job, I have to go back or they won't let me enter the afterlife. So, here I am."

"This is so incredible!"

"Is it really?" He made a bitter face. "Anyway, we should get Mr. I-am-a-dumb-redhead fiancé of yours to understand the situation before it gets complicates any further. Before that, answer me truthfully. Did you make me kiss you by using your Veela charm?"

"No," she shouted vehemently.

"I figured as much." He sighed in annoyance.

"Are you going to erase our memories?"

"I have a huge task set for me, Fleur, and I can't do it alone. I need help. Bill is the only candidate for that role simply because we know each other. This thing is too huge to trust anyone else."

"And you trust that man?" She asked pointing towards Sirius. "Who is he? And how do you know him?"

Harry figured that with the way the events had progressed, Bill and Fleur had completely forgotten about Sirius being present. He smirked, realising that Sirius' introduction would be another shocking one.

"Fleur, I'd like you to meet my godfather, Sirius Black, the last of the Most Noble and Ancient house of Black. Sirius, meet the lovely Miss Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons Champion in the Triwizard Tournament and our very own Bill's fiancée."

Sirius bowed in an aristocratic manner making Harry laugh. The man certainly knew the pureblood customs. He loved the look of shock that adorned Fleur's face. After staring at him open mouthed, for a few moments, she gave a soft sigh.

"You too?" She asked weakly and curtsied.

"Your beauty overwhelms me, but your words wound me, ma chéri." Sirius replied with a grin.

"Alright, stop it Casanova. Now that things are relatively under control, let's hope they remain so when we wake up the idiot redhead."

* * *

Things didn't go any smoother when Bill was woken up. Though any outright fights were avoided successfully, the tension and doubt still remained and Harry wished there would be some interference from the '_Powers That Be_' to get rid of the mess. Luckily for him, his prayers were answered after a few minutes of tense silence and intense glaring.

All of a sudden, there was a loud hoot, a flurry of wings, and Harry found himself attacked, or rather clawed to death by an extremely irate snowy white owl.

"Hedwig!" he cried in joy. "_Ow, ow, stop it! Stop it, woman!_"

His cry of joy had turned into cries of pain as Hedwig kept pecking and clawing at him. In a moment of reprise, he saw the expressions of shock on the faces of the others, before he had to cover his face with his hands to avoid the sharp talons of his beautiful owl. _I always knew there was a vicious beast hidden behind that ethereal beauty_, he thought.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, just stop it now, please," he pleaded.

There was one final sharp hoot and Hedwig flew away from him to the opposite side of the room and perched on the top of a chair. Harry slowly uncovered his face and saw her glaring at him; her stare so hard and unblinking that he couldn't help but squirm on his feet. He had absolutely forgotten about her in all this mess and as a result, Hedwig was angry at him. He couldn't blame her for that; he knew he was at fault. After all, she was his one and only faithful friend since the very beginning. A simple apology would never placate her.

"I'm sorry, Hedwig."

He approached her and slowly extended his hand to pet her. He saw that it was bleeding from a number of cuts and scratches, but he did deserve them. She tried to bite him when his hand came near her and he hastily moved it away. She was really very angry.

"Look Hedwig, I'm really sorry. I know I shouldn't have forgotten about you, but I did and I'm really sorry for that."

He received another angry _hoot_ as a reply and she turned her back to him. He made one more attempt at petting her and was successful at last, mostly due to the fact that she was ignoring him. Or at least that was what she was trying to do, but he thought that she was enjoying it judging by the soft guttural sounds she made. At least he hoped that those were sounds of satisfaction and not angry growls. Harry now understood how much he really missed her and he felt a solitary tear slide down his cheek. He was indeed happy that she had returned to him. He knew that eventually her anger would subside and things would be back to normal. She too missed him very much to ignore him for too long.

Suddenly, she took off making him think that she was leaving. Instead, she circled the room and landed on his right shoulder and nibbled on his ear lovingly. Harry could literally feel the grin trying to stretch beyond his face. Things had started to brighten up already. He looked around to see the others staring at Hedwig nibbling his ear with a gobsmacked expression their faces.

"What?" he asked annoyed, but still smiling. "Have you never seen an owl being angry at a bloke?" Everyone shook their head. "Well, there's always a first time then, isn't there?"

* * *

The upside of suffering the owl attack was that Bill was now more than ready to listen to him. The redhead still held some disbelief, but Harry knew it would go away soon enough. Bill and Fleur listened to Harry and Sirius revealing the truth, which he did so rather patiently. Of course, they weren't told the entire truth, but enough so that they knew their true identities and the task that was set out before them. Both agreed to keep the truth about their identities a secret after understanding how important it was. That wasn't done without protesting though. Bill wanted them to reveal Harry's return to the world so that Voldemort would become doubtful about future actions and also because it would boost the public morale, which was running very low. But Harry was firm about his stand.

"You have to understand one thing, Bill. We have an advantage here, the only one we might ever have. We can accomplish many things without alerting anyone, be it Voldemort or the Ministry. Both are equally hazardous to our plans. It is true that if we reveal ourselves now, it'll renew the hopes of everyone. But it'll also alert Voldemort of our actions, whereas now he is sure to be complacent. We cannot use our only Ace to win a small hand. We might win the battle, but we will lose the war. It is the only thing we have in our favour."

Bill easily understood the point Harry was trying to make and agreed, though with some reluctance. With that, the talks turned towards the Horcruxes and an impromptu history lesson, wherein Harry gave them all information he had about Tom Riddle and how he managed to create them. He didn't do it as fancifully as Dumbledore had, but just enough to get the message along with its seriousness through to them. Even Sirius paid complete attention as this was the first time Harry had told him about the Horcruxes and Voldemort's plans of immortality – plans that they were going to burn to ashes.

As dinner time approached, the meeting was adjourned and the talk turned to more mundane topics. Harry learned that Fleur's mother had lent her one of the family's elf, who was responsible for the wonderful French cuisine laid out on the dinner table. He thought that it was more delicious that the one he had tasted at Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament, or maybe he was just that hungry. By a silent agreement, it was decided to refrain from leading the conversation towards the issues of war.

"So, where do we start?" Bill asked as soon as they had retired once again to the parlour.

"Well, we know the objects used as horcruxes are relics from the four Founders. We have no knowledge about one of them, except it that it belonged to Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. The snake Nagini has always been with Voldemort. The location of Helga's Cup is unknown. The locket is most likely with this R.A.B. person, whoever he or she is. We need to find these things, get them out of their traps and then destroy them. And finally there's Voldemort himself. I'll deal with him when the time comes. Do you have any suggestions?"

"I think we can rule out Gryffindor from that list," Bill said. "The only relics of any importance that are attributed as used by him are his Sword and the Sorting Hat, both of which you used in your second year. I think that had those been horcruxes, Dumbledore would have taken care of them."

"Yeah, I figured the same thing."

"There is a legend about Ravenclaw and the centaurs, but it has always been thought of as a fairy tale. If it were the truth, I think we'll be dealing with centaurs, which doesn't make the prospect good seeing their outlook on humans. I have no idea about the other two."

"What do you think Sirius?" Harry asked him, seeing him sit with an oddly detached expression.

"Have you given any thought to the mysterious person?"

"Yeah, Hermione searched the library for names, but didn't get any useful results. There are a lot of people who have those initials, but all we can guess is that the person was once a Death Eater, who gave up that path. He stole the real thing and replaced it with a fake one. He might also have destroyed it, but somehow I'm not too sure about that. Destroying a horcrux is no easy thing to do. Do you have an idea who this person might be?"

Sirius remained calm for a few moments, almost as if arranging his thoughts.

"I do know one person with those initials. By my reckoning, there is a chance that he might be the one we are looking for."

"Who is it then?"

"I think it was Reggie, as in Regulus Arcturus Black, R.A.B… my brother."

"Whoa…" Harry couldn't believe this at all. That was good news indeed. They were already doing a good amount of progress in a very short period of time.

"I do wonder though, how he managed to remove the real one from the cave," Sirius continued, "and that too without alerting Voldemort. As you said, he couldn't have taken anyone else with him. There was the issue of security and Voldemort had specific enchantments to protect that locket. And yet he overcame those, replaced the locket with a fake one and left after setting everything as it was. It sounds too good to be true. He was smart, but he wasn't one of the top ranking Death Eaters for him to have knowledge of Voldemort's whereabouts, much less about his horcruxes. He might not be the one we're after."

"Let us, for the time being, consider him as our man. What I'm more concerned about is what he did with the horcrux. As I said, it is highly doubtful that he might have destroyed it. And we cannot just hope that it has been destroyed. It would be optimism bordering on foolishness. And yet we need to know where it is and what happened to it. What do you say Bill?"

"I think that for the moment, we might just have to consider that Voldemort is in possession of this one. From what the Order knew about Regulus, he was killed by Voldemort himself. We might assume that Voldemort somehow got wind of what had happened, approached Regulus, obtained the locket and killed him. This is, of course, until we gain more information."

"Yes, that does seem likely," Sirius agreed. "But the prospect of getting the locket from Voldemort doesn't help us any. What about the others?"

"I have no clue whatsoever," Harry admitted. "What were you saying about the centaurs, Bill?"

"Well, there's a fairy tale that has been told from generation to generation. It is about a mysterious **Crystal Orb** that belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. This Orb was said to give her unmatched powers of Divination. She was a seer by birth, but her powers were limited. The Orb was so powerful that it magnified her powers and she had clear visions of the future. She foretold many things and was successful in avoiding many catastrophes, basically anything that did not directly involve her. Later, she came to realise that many things did happen just because she made those predictions known."

"Huh?" Harry was genuinely confused.

"Don't think she became egotistic," Sirius continued, taking over from Bill. "What it means is that things might have been different had she not let others know those predictions. There's this tale of a couple, who were happily married for twelve years. Not a single fight in that time. Rowena _saw_ that things would change drastically in the next few days, and that would break up their marriage. She told the woman, who a close friend of her, about this. Since that day, she became somewhat distant, fearing the inevitable. There were continuous fights between husband and wife, over negligible differences even, which eventually led to the wife killing her husband while he was asleep."

"Ah, so they broke up just because the wife knew they would. There was no other apparent reason. The effect was the cause."

"Exactly, there are a couple of other such cases, where the same thing happened, the most notable being the beginning of rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin. She saw how dark Slytherin would become and how their friendship would break. She cautioned them against it. It is said that before the warning, Salazar was neither in favour of the Light, nor the Dark. But the knowledge of his future, and the fact that Rowena's predictions always came true, led him to believe that Darkness was the path he was supposed to take. Once again the effect became the cause."

"That apparently was the final straw for her and the reason why she gave up the Orb," Bill said. "It was rumoured that she loved Slytherin and couldn't stand to see what he would become. She went into the Forbidden Forest to dispose of the Orb, where she came across the centaurs. Back then, they were simple brutes who were conceited, but actually were no good at all. They forcibly took away the Orb from her as punishment for coming into their territory. Rowena was only glad to get rid of it, didn't mind at all. She tried to return to Hogwarts, but the centaurs would have none of it. She fought with them, but in the end it was in all in vain. They ruthlessly killed her and then deposited her mangled body that night at the castle gates."

"Wow, that's pretty gruesome for a fairy tale." Harry said and Fleur nodded in agreement.

"What happened to happy endings?" She asked.

"Well, this one is not meant to have a happy ending," Sirius explained. "It's told so that children stay away from and fear other magical beasts. There are many others like this one – dragons, werewolves, etc. are the prominent villains. Of course, no one believes the stories these days… I never did when I was a kid. Plus the real motive behind it is totally different than what we see. It is supposed to show the superiority of wizards over other sentient beings. It is further believed that the knowledge of the divination that the centaurs display today is due to their possession of the Orb. Of course, no one has ever found any evidence in favour of this claim, and believe me, many people have tried to obtain it in the past. No one has ever succeeded."

"But there might be some truth in the supposed fairy tale, right?" Harry asked. "I mean, if the only item of some importance Ravenclaw ever possessed was that Orb, doesn't it seem natural that Voldemort might have searched for it? And let's face it, he's Voldemort. If anyone can get it, it's him."

"But we aren't even sure of its existence," Bill protested.

"Which might probably be the reason it really exists," Harry asserted. Seeing their questioning gazes, he explained. "It's a reverse psychology kind of thing, well not exactly. If anyone, like say Voldemort, comes across the Orb, will he ever advertise the fact? If anyone who finds the Orb wants to keep it, he'll most likely keep it a secret or he will get robbed. Plus, he'll make sure to scoff at rumours regarding its existence, thus making sure no one ever thinks that he has the Orb."

"Even so, we first need to confirm that said Orb really does exist," Sirius said. "How, I don't know. We don't need to waste time going on a wild goose chase looking for mythical objects that may or may not exist. I would rather insist that our short term goals be dedicated towards more achievable matters."

"And what would these goals be?"

"We need to get some guns."

Complete silence followed that statement as three pairs of eyes stared at Sirius in utter disbelief. Harry couldn't comprehend how Sirius, being a pureblood, could think of bringing guns into the battlefield in a world of magic. It just didn't fit into his imagination. It was inconceivable. He had seen some war movies on the telly, and yet he hadn't thought of using guns, even though he had had a muggle upbringing. _Ah, so that's why he had moved his hand behind his back_, he thought. _He wanted to draw his gun_.

The silence was broken by Hedwig who hooted and switched over to Harry's other shoulder. He had fed her soon after she had stopped being angry at him and she hadn't left him since then. She just sat on his shoulders, hooting now and then, nibbling on his ear or rubbing her head affectionately against his. And truth be told, Harry liked it too.

"You are mad!" Fleur exclaimed, breaking the silence.

Bill, who was sitting beside her with his mouth flapping, just nodded in agreement.

"Sirius, are you sure about that?" Harry asked. He needed to know the reasons behind Sirius' madness, er… beliefs.

"Guys, my time in Australia taught me some things that should come in handy whenever we need to make an impact. The first is that when you are dealing with the dark elements, you need to do something they won't expect… here it means guns. Guns have many advantages. First of all, we will have the element of surprise. Most wizards are so dependent on magic that they would never think of using muggle methods or defending from them too. Second is their arrogance – wizards have always thought that they are superiors to muggles. That will be their undoing some day, but that is another advantage for us. And thirdly, muggles have a monopoly when it comes to blowing things up. When you want things to go boom, you just need to act like a muggle. So believe it or not, we need guns. Every small thing we have to assist us will help us in the long run. We must make use of everything we can if we want to win this war. Of course, there's also the fact that Voldemort is fond of using inferi. And when dealing with the walking dead, guns are as harmful as fire, perhaps more so. So anything that goes down stays down."

"Well, when you put it like that…"

"Don't worry, Harry. I know what I'm doing. Been there, done that…"

"But we don't know how to use them," Bill interjected.

"Bill, and you too Fleur, listen to me. Guns are easy to handle. You just need to point and pull the trigger. Don't worry, I'll teach you guys. You can learn it within a short time."

"Won't that be harmful for our friends too?" Fleur asked.

"Of course, that's why everyone won't get a gun, only those who can use them. I can handle a gun pretty good. When I teach you, I'll get to know how well you manage them. If you can't, well, no shooting for you. You will still carry it, but use it only in emergency situations – like when you have lost your wand and the enemies are closing in on you, etc. Believe me, they will be useful. Still if you don't like it, you can load it with tranquilizer darts so that it won't be too harmful in case of friendly fire."

Harry couldn't refute the points Sirius had made. He had accessed the situation correctly. Every small thing that was in their favour would lead them towards victory. Plus, if Sirius said it was easy, he believed it. He was really glad to have him back.

"I always wanted to shoot something," Harry mused. "Death Eaters are something everyone must shoot – again and again."

"That's the attitude, Potter. We'll make a soldier out of you yet. But first tell me that you didn't spend all the gold I left you. We'll need it to buy the hardware."

"Sirius, we both are officially dead. I don't think we can just waltz into the bank and ask the goblins to provide the gold."

"Hmm, I hadn't thought of that…"

"But don't worry. Before my, er… death, certain situations arose that made me give away everything I had. I divided it equally between Tonks and Remus. Once we get hold of those two, we will have enough money to buy whatever you need." Harry almost missed the sharp intake of breath from Fleur. "What is it Fleur, Bill? Is there a problem?"

Bill and Fleur looked uncertainly at each other making Harry dread the reply.

"Harry," Fleur said softly, "we haven't heard from or seen Tonks and Remus since… since that day."

"Yeah," Bill continued. "There's been no contact with those two. We searched for Remus at his usual hangouts, but no luck. And Shack says Tonks quit her job and hasn't been seen since then. Of course, there's the fact that even if you do see her, you won't know that it's truly her. She can be anyone and everyone among the people around you. But he did look for the usual signs she displayed whenever she was around. A personality match wasn't found either. Even her folks don't know where she is."

_This was definitely not good_, Harry thought. When Dumbledore had been killed, Harry only had those two to fall back on. Remus had been the last of the Marauders, and Tonks a very good friend, and dare he say, with a potential of being something more. He couldn't believe that he was back and both Tonks and Remus weren't here. He recalled that they both were present during his altercation with Voldemort after his trial. _I swear, Tom, if you have done anything to them, I'll make you wish you were never born_, he swore.

"Sirius…" Harry tried to speak, but the words just wouldn't come out.

"We'll find them Harry," Sirius said with complete conviction. "Do you guys think Voldemort had anything to do with their disappearances?"

That was another thing Harry liked about Sirius. The notion that Tonks and Remus were dead didn't even enter his thoughts. Harry took hope from that fact and reinforced his positive outlook.

"We don't really know anything about Remus. He just… disappeared. Tonks, on the other hand, resigned before leaving. Chances are that she went away on her own and no foul play was involved."

"That's something at least," Sirius muttered. "Alright, I think I know where Remus might be hiding. I'll take Harry with me and see if he's around, or if anyone's seen him, and then find him and bring him back. In the meantime, you two do er… whatever it is that you came here to do."

Harry and Sirius both laughed on seeing the blushing couple.

"And if you do get some time, try to think about what we have discussed and possible solutions. But please do not reveal anything that we have said to anyone else. You may end up doing more harm than good, if any at all," Harry said.

"But just to be safer, Bill, Fleur, would you guys mind performing the Secrecy Spell? It's not that we don't trust you to keep it a secret. It's just that you might do so inadvertently, without even knowing that you have revealed something. If you don't mind, that is…"

"We don't mind Sirius," Bill said and Fleur nodded in agreement. "After all, the spell is based on trust itself."

"What exactly does the spell do?" Harry asked. It was the first time he had heard of it, not unusual considering he didn't know all that much about the magical world.

"It's basically a privacy spell for that's based on challenge response. It's sort of like the Fidelius, just not that advanced or complex. When you perform the spell, you express it in such words that effectively keep something a secret. The wording depends on what secret you want to conceal. It's not foolproof. It just prevents you from accidentally revealing the secret. Of course, it doesn't work when you are under duress. But that's just a minor disadvantage."

Sirius then took a quill from the nearby desk and began writing the wordings for the spell on a piece of parchment. He spent several minutes scratching and rewriting so as to make it perfect. He then made two copies and gave them to Bill and Fleur.

"Just follow my lead, Harry," he told him. "Once you say the words of agreement, leave the rest to me and Bill."

Sirius then stood beside Harry while Bill and Fleur stood in front of them. Harry saw everyone raising their wand to their eye level pointing upwards and copied the movements.

"I, William Arthur Weasley, do hereby agree to protect the information regarding Harry James Potter, also known as Blake Grimm, and Sirius Ophiuchus Black, also known as Nigel Grimm, that has been revealed to me today unless it is already known and the listening parties know the revelation key."

As soon as Bill finished reciting the Oath, the tip of his wand lit in a brilliant red colour.

"I, Fleur Isabelle Delacour, do hereby agree to protect the information regarding Harry James Potter, also known as Blake Grimm, and Sirius Ophiuchus Black, also known as Nigel Grimm, that has been revealed to me today unless it is already known and the listening parties know the revelation key."

Fleur's wand too reacted similarly to Bill's as Harry waited for Sirius to guide him.

"I, Sirius Ophiuchus Black, trust the oaths taken to protect my secrets," Sirius agreed.

Taking his cue, Harry repeated after his godfather.

"I, Harry James Potter, trust the oaths taken to protect my secrets."

Both Harry and Sirius' wand tips lit in a bright green light. Thin tongues of brilliant colour shot out from all four wands – red for Bill and Fleur, and green for Harry and Sirius – and met together to form a sphere that shone with a mixture of red and green hues. It was bright, and yet everything could be seen very clearly.

"Is lunchtime the best time to drink?" Bill asked, reading from his paper. He had to fight to keep the smile off his face and Harry and Fleur just stared at him dumbly.

"Time is an illusion… lunchtime, doubly so." Sirius replied with a smirk and it was Harry's turn to fight the smile threatening to break his serious expression. _Trust Sirius to use a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference here_.

As soon as the words were said, the sphere pulsated with a brilliant golden light and split into four thin tongues that rushed into the participants' chests as the spell was completed.

"Glad to get it out of the way." Sirius said. "So now, any questions?"

"I have one," Harry replied with an amused snort. "_Ophiuchus?_"

Sirius scowled as the other three laughed at his name.

"All thanks to my dear old mother. She wanted the whole Slytherin motif thing, and so she chose Ophiuchus. It means '_the serpent holder_' in Greek. She thought I'd be her pride and joy – the perfect son. I wasn't too sad to shatters her illusions though."

"You have to admit it's funny though," Fleur said while trying to cover her giggles.

"Yeah, some people have no tastes while naming their children. And Andromeda, she's my cousin by the way, takes after her in that respect. I mean, what kind of name is Nymphadora?"

"It's not that bad…" Harry tried to protest, but Sirius gave him no heed.

"Mother wasn't pleased when I was sorted into Gryffindor. But she didn't know how Potters have a tendency to change your life… forever. It's just about enough to live."

Seeing Sirius quietened lapse into memory lane, and also that it was late in the night, Harry made excuses for both of them and bid Fleur and Bill goodnight. He needed to get a good night's rest as he didn't know where Sirius was going to take him the next day. For all he knew, they might end up looking for Remus on the other side of the world. He realised that this was surely possible as the others hadn't been able to find the elusive werewolf wherever they searched. And if anyone really knew the guy, it was Sirius. They had been best friends since school, and Harry was sure Sirius had a fair idea where Remus might have holed himself – a secret sanctuary perhaps.

He opened the drapes of the window to let the faint moonlight shine in and thought about how quickly things had progressed since his return. He had a war to win, and here he was, collecting soldiers. He didn't like it one bit, but understood that this was their fight as much as it was his. The others too had a right to be a part of it and it wasn't in his hands to stop them. Had he tried to do that, he'd have been no different that Dumbledore. That didn't mean it was easy for him to lead them into battle. But he would… because he had to. He now understood the choices Dumbledore had to face while making such decisions.

Everyone was entitled to his or her own choices, and as Firenze had said, _everything comes back to the choices we make_. He just hoped that everyone, including him, would make the correct ones.

He had almost cried when he saw McGonagall performing the duties that Dumbledore usually did. He was just so used to seeing the old man address the students that he had never thought that someone else might take his place. And yet when McGonagall had done the same things, he could feel the difference that distinguished the two of them. While she had done everything perfectly, her heart had not been in it. It was more of a chore, a necessity to be done, and nothing else. And when Dumbledore gave the welcome speech, everyone could feel the words coming from his heart. The happiness that once saturated the castle seemed to have died a long time ago.

He remembered seeing Hermione, her Head Girl badge pinned to the front of her robes, and his other friends talk listlessly with each other. The energy that seemed to be a part of everyone at Hogwarts was lost, perhaps since the day he had _died_. Even Hagrid had not been his usual jovial self. But seeing Ron stare morosely at food in his plate had been the last straw. Harry couldn't take it anymore and had left the Great Hall to find some peace of mind. How he had wished to jump up on the tables and announce that he was alive and make everyone believe that everything was going to be alright, that he was going to kill the murdering bastards! Yet he had to restrain himself from doing that.

And then, standing by the Lake in the starlight, he had once again resolved to destroy Voldemort as soon as possible. He had vowed to resurrect the happiness, even if he lost his own life once again while doing so.

* * *

"Are you sure we're heading in the right direction?" Harry asked, as he began scraping the snow that was sticking to his boots.

"Of course I'm sure," Sirius answered, his voice tinged with impatience.

"And you're also sure that we are going to find Remus wherever it is that we are going?"

"Yes, this is the most likely, and perhaps the only, place where we will find him."

"If you say so," Harry replied.

Harry had woken up nice and early in the morning, eager to set out in search for Remus. His anticipation though, was all in vain, as Sirius had asked him to go back to sleep after a relatively heavy breakfast. Surprised, Harry had questioned him about this strange activity, but Sirius had refused to give any details except that they were supposed to leave sometime after noon and that they wouldn't get any sleep later. He had said that they would need all the rest they could get before they left.

Being wide awake, Harry had decided to take a mild Sleeping Potion, and had promptly fallen asleep. Sirius had awakened him at about two in the afternoon, by which Harry understood that it was time to leave. He saw that while he had been sleeping, Sirius had been busy making preparations for their journey. His trunk had been packed and neatly assembled and his clothes were laid out on his bed for him to wear.

What had surprised Harry though was the selection of clothes and accessories laid out – a heavy winter overcoat, gloves, hat, scarf, and knee high dragon hide boots – all present in addition to his usual clothes. That surely meant that they were going someplace that would be very cold. He had quickly dressed but decided to wear the winter clothes just before leaving.

A few minutes later, Sirius had arrived in the parlour, similarly attired, his own trunk hovering behind him a few inches off the ground. Harry had once again checked that his features matched Sirius'. Fleur had healed his injuries the day before and the faint scars left due to Hedwig's attack had almost disappeared. His godfather produced a spoon, which Harry assumed to be a portkey. He had waved Bill and Fleur goodbye, taken a hold of his trunk in one hand and touched the offered portkey with the other. He had felt the familiar sensation of being pulled by a hook behind his navel as the portkey activated and they had left France in a swirl of colours.

Harry had surprising managed to remain standing while landing, a feat that he had felt very proud of accomplishing. But his joy had been short-lived as he took a look of his surroundings.

The first thing that he felt was the biting cold on his face and the total lack of any kind of sound. They were standing, essentially, on a small snowy hill in the middle of nowhere. The entire view his eyes provided consisted of acres of snow with no animal or plant life in sight. The only thing close enough to be related to civilisation were a pair of decrepit old towers, which were about a mile away from where they were standing, and about the same distance from each other.

Harry had turned to his godfather with a disappointed look on his face, but Sirius, on the other hand, had looked rather happy to see where they were standing. When asked, Sirius had replied that he was happy because they had managed to land so near the towers. Had they portkeyed far from them, they wouldn't have been able to see them, and would have had to spend too much time in the icy desert to locate them. Harry had understood that the old towers had to be some kind of landmarks and was indeed glad that they had not missed them.

Sirius had then instructed him to apparate near one of the tower, for they would have to walk the rest of the way due to the wards surrounding the area. The towers were also indicators of the ward line and acted as the boundary enforcers. Inside the warded area, anti-apparation, anti-portkey and anti-flight wards were present. So any approach to the place they were visiting would have to be done on foot. Harry hadn't liked that fact one bit, but he knew he couldn't do anything against that. Harry had felt the faint humming of the wards as he had entered the warded area. He immediately knew that the wards were quite strong.

And so, they had started to walk. Within a few moments, Harry had begun to wish that he could soar in the skies on his Firebolt. But that had reminded him of the flight he had shared with Dumbledore and his desire to fly vanished.

After about an hour of trudging through several inches of snow, they had decided to rest for a few moments during which Harry decided to get some answers.

"Where exactly are we? Everywhere I look, there's nothing but snow."

"We are about five hundred miles to the northeast of The Himalayas, in Tibet to be precise. This place is called the _Roof of the World_, and you can guess why. The air is quite thin here, so conserve your energy, and don't speak if you don't have to. If you have trouble breathing, a simple solution would be performing the bubblehead charm, got it?"

"Hmm, alright, but where are we going? Why would Remus come here of all places? There's nothing here."

"That's where you are wrong, Harry. Contrary to what most people believe, Tibet is host to the world's one and only Werewolf Refuge. Very few people know that it exists, and many others who have heard of it can't come here simply because its location is a well guarded secret. It doesn't have something like a Fidelius protecting it, but it does have many safeguards. Like the wards for one – even though we, meaning I, know where exactly it exists, I cannot just apparate there. Everyone who wants to be there should prove that he or she really wants to be there."

"That's why we have to walk."

"Yes, it is a test of your dedication, so to speak. The village itself has similar wards, but they are permissions based so that those who are already inside and have permission can apparate, or use a portkey, or fly without facing any problems. But you cannot apparate or portkey or fly in from the outside. The only option to get in is to walk."

"How long will it take us to get there?" Harry asked, dreading the answer.

"Judging by our current pace, I'll say three days, maybe a bit less… more if we are caught in a blizzard."

"Three days? And what the hell do you mean _blizzard_?"

"Hey, I said 'maybe a bit less' too. And blizzards aren't really that common here – just once or twice a fortnight. Well, in any case, we've had enough rest. Come on, get up, slacking off won't get us there faster."

They started walking once again, while Harry wondered if his godfather had gone mad. Idly, he started thinking of ways to torture him, but decided against it. He had a job to do and would need his godfather's help and expertise. _Perhaps after I deal with Voldemort…_ he mused. He had a terrible urge to cackle madly, but was successful to suppress it.

A couple of hours later, they stopped once again to have a light snack. Sirius had brought along with him some food that would have been enough to last the two of them for at least a week - all thanks to Fleur's house-elf, of course. It was the French cuisine once again, and though Harry liked it, he knew he didn't like it enough to eat it each and every day. But he was too damn hungry to complain.

When they started walking once again, a serious question began nagging Harry's mind – _how exactly was Sirius directing their path?_ There had been no further landmarks after they had crossed the _twin towers_. They were surrounded by nothing except snow. There was nothing in their path that could be used as a guide. They had been travelling over the snow covered plains and small hills – and Sirius had never wavered from the course he had set. He had been surefooted and there was no flicker of doubt to be seen. Everything indicated that he knew where he was going and he hadn't put a foot wrong during the course they had travelled.

But the question still nagged him and finally Harry decided to ask him.

"Oh, it's easy," Sirius replied. "You just need to know how to walk in a straight line. When you cross the towers, you need to start moving in a line perpendicular to the line joining them, and keep moving in that direction. You will eventually reach the village. That's why I keep watching over my back from time to time. I check my position every hundred yards or so. Our footsteps act as points of reference for further navigation. This particular skill is very important when you need to move through deserts – such as this snow covered one, for example."

The explanation immediately put Harry's mind at ease. He didn't doubt Sirius; he was just curious and wanted to know how his godfather was doing it. He decided to try his hand at such navigation, and found that he just erred by a small margin. Harry had thought that such a small error would be insignificant. Sirius took great pleasure in informing him that such a small error over a distance of hundred yards would put him a few miles away from the destination over a time of three days. Harry wisely decided to let Sirius be the designated navigator.

As darkness fell, Sirius decided that they should stop now so that they would be well rested and so could start early the next morning.

"We can continue for a bit longer, can't we?" Harry asked.

"It's already getting dark, Harry. In another half an hour or so, it will be so dark that we won't be able to see our own footsteps where they fall, forget about seeing them a hundred yards off. And I, for one, don't fancy straying off course at all."

"Makes sense, I guess. But I don't feel tired at all. You'd think after walking so much, my legs should have been hurting like hell."

"Of course you aren't tired and hurting. You're wearing _Seven League Boots_ after all. Bill got them from a couple of his contacts. These babies surely know how to make a man's purse lighter."

Harry's head snapped up in surprise. _Seven League Boots!_

"Wow," he muttered.

Harry had heard about them of course, but had never thought he himself would be wearing them one day. Of course, he knew that the boots weren't what they were made out to be in muggle fairytales. They didn't allow the wearer to take great strides – seven leagues in each step, to be precise – thereby resulting in great speed. _Completely absurd_, Harry thought. _The muggles find a way to exaggerate the simplest of magical items. By their reckoning, the wearer would have his feet seven leagues apart for each stride. That would be a really painful lengthening._

The simple truth was that the boots were charmed to take such great care of the wearer and his feet that he could walk seven leagues at a stretch without tiring at all. When a distance of seven miles was travelled, the charm would expire and the wearer would begin to feel exhaustion. It took almost a couple of hours for the charms on the boots to recharge, after which another seven leagues could be travelled with ease.

Of course, such boots were invariably very costly – even more so that his Firebolt. Almost a handful of people across England had the necessary gold to buy a pair. And since wizards seldom walked, the sale of _seven league boots_ became rare, and eventually died down.

Then eventually, in the 1700s, a wizard – whose name Harry couldn't recall, and neither had any inclination to do so – came up with a brilliant idea. He saw that Curse Breakers often complained about walking long distances under warded regions. They couldn't discharge the ward until they found its anchors, which were often hidden somewhere in the heart of the territory. As a result, they had to walk a lot searching for the well hidden as well as protected anchors. And so their feet ached.

Now the idea that the wizard had was to create a toned down version of the _Seven League Boots_ – boots that would be charmed to last a league or two at most. This would be enough to satisfy the requirements of the Curse Breakers. The price would be less too, and far more affordable.

The name hadn't been changed though. They were still called _Seven League Boots_… why, he couldn't say. Wizards were strange that way. _Perhaps the name offered brand recognition_, Harry thought. _Nah, wizards were just that dumb._ Harry chuckled at the thought. He himself was a wizard, wasn't he?

Sirius used the last rays of sunlight to mark the last hundred yards with some solid stick markers that he had conjured. Harry knew that when snow fell, their footsteps would simply vanish. The sticks, though, would remain there for a long time. In the mean time, Harry removed the magical tent he saw in his trunk and set it up, this time with magic, unlike at the Quidditch World Cup. It was quicker and easier. The tent wasn't too big or fanciful – just a couple of rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom – and was quite similar to the one he had been in during the World Cup. _Mass produced, perhaps,_ thought Harry.

Later, when Sirius was done marking, they had a quiet _French_ dinner, and were soon fast asleep.

* * *

The next two days were pretty much like the first one – they did a lot of walking. It would have been pretty boring, but Sirius provided good company and the time flew by as they talked from mundane things like Quidditch and history to downright boring stuff such as politics and pureblood society. Harry found out that Sirius knew a lot of stuff.

On the third day, Harry started having slight trouble breathing due to the thin air. He performed the Bubblehead Charm as instructed and he felt normal once again. When Sirius continued on without the charm, Harry became concerned for his safety. But Sirius just flashed him a grin and reassured him that he would indeed perform the charm if he needed to. Otherwise, he was just fine.

In the end, fortune favoured them and they reached the outskirts of the Refuge around noon. Sirius and Harry were happy that they had taken even less time to reach there than what they had expected. They did not encounter any blizzards either.

The Refuge was a huge place and it consisted of eight small towns. It had comparatively less snow cover, and the weather was pretty good. There was also a small river running through the area which acted as the main supply of water. The interesting thing about the Refuge was that it not only housed the werewolves, but their families too. Of course, not everyone had a family for there were some outcasts too. But everyone was welcome here. Harry was glad to see the werewolves being treated like normal persons.

The towns were made of heavily fortified structures and Harry realised that even a werewolf couldn't destroy them with its immense strength. They had all facilities and the people worked together to see the town's welfare. Harry could feel a sense of unity present in the atmosphere there.

When they reached the town centre, they registered with the security and stated their purpose of visit as _'searching a friend to take him home'_. Harry learnt that _registration_ and stating the _purpose of visit_ were important formalities for visitors to the Refuge, unless you were a werewolf in which case you had to register as a resident if you wanted a permanent stay. They rented a small house and after a quick lunch, they began roaming the town asking the people if they had seen Remus. Sirius had even brought photographs that they showed around. By evening time, they had finished asking half the town but weren't successful in finding him.

The next seven days were spent similarly. They would arrive at a town, register, rent a house and spend the day asking the residents about Remus' whereabouts. They covered five towns this way and made their way to the sixth. It was there that a blizzard arrived the day they were to leave the town for the next one, and they had to stay inside to remain safe from the heavy snowfall and violent winds. The snowstorm lasted three days.

On the third day, the winds quieted down but the snow continued to fall. The people were yet to venture out of their houses, but Sirius and Harry decided that the weather was good enough that they could travel to the next town. There were still about three hours to sunset and Sirius estimated that they would reach the next village in that time. The only disadvantage was that they would have to walk since apparation and portkeys were rather dangerous because of the severe climatic conditions. Harry didn't have a problem with that. He wouldn't have any trouble with his _Seven League Boots_.

But Sirius' estimate was off this time and they made a relatively slow progress as sleet had begun to fall. The sun had set and they would still need at least another half an hour to reach their destination. They continued on using their wands for light, and hurried their pace. But their journey was halted as Sirius abruptly stopped and Harry almost walked into him.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Shh," Sirius hissed. "Be quiet and don't make any noise."

"Why?" Harry hissed back.

"Look at that," Sirius replied, indicating something on the ground, a few feet from them.

In the dim light provided by his wand, Harry recognised what it was.

"They are tracks. So?"

"They aren't just any tracks, Harry. They are animal tracks, and quite fresh too, considering the snow that is falling."

"I don't understand."

"Think for moment where we are."

Harry was puzzled by Sirius' strange behaviour.

"Er, we are in Tibet, in the…" Harry started, and immediately came to a halt.

His eyes widened in shock and he looked at Sirius, waiting for him to deny the conclusion he had reached. But Sirius' face told him all he needed to know. He gulped. As if on cue, a piercing howl was heard coming from somewhere in front of them, and an answering one followed from behind them. The only positive thing was that the howls sounded as if coming from a great distance. Harry felt a chill go up his spine. They had completely forgotten about the full moon and the heavy cloud cover had blocked it from view.

"What do we do now?"

Sirius did not answer, but began walking swiftly once again and Harry followed him. A few moments later, they had to stop once again.

Four pairs of glowing eyes were staring at them from a distance of about ten feet. Then there were a couple of growls, and the huge beasts began a casual walk towards where they were standing.

"So, Sirius," Harry began, "any ideas?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

1. I have also penned the first chapter of a new story, a Harry Potter/Matrix crossover to be precise, titled **'Illusions of Reality'**. It also has **Honks** as its main pairing. It is now posted and I'll be glad if you guys can check it out. All feedback will be greatly appreciated.

2. Once again, I'd like to ask all readers to **review** so as to let me know what you guys think. I'll admit that reviews are the only form of **encouragement** I get to continue the story, and as such, are very much required.

3. Some plot points from the previous chapter, like the **kiss**, haven't been explained in this one. But I'll assure you that everything will be clarified shortly.

4. This chapter is not Beta-ed. If you see any mistakes, please point them out and I'll be glad to fix them.

5. **Next chapter** – looks at the compass and smirks – What is it you want most? "Wink"


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